Bleeding Flower, Bloody Sand
by Tristen1497
Summary: The world has been tainted, corrupted by demons, spilling in from the underworld. Only one princess holds the power to restore peace, but doing so may mean sacrificing everything… Full summary inside. GaaraXSakura
1. Prolog

Hello people of Fanfiction, and thank you for choosing to read this. I have a few VERY important things to say so, before starting the story, please read the following:

If you are familiar with the works I write alone with my partner as 2crazy random people, be warned. This is nothing like the comic, plot-driven style present in the stories 2crazy random people write. Here, the plot moves along a lot more slowly and there's many more complications and detail put in.

There will probably end up being 50-70 chapters, though only 31 of these are currently complete. Just because it is not yet complete, don't worry about starting to read this story as I give my solemn oath it will be completed.

This is my first, last, and obviously only piece of Fanfiction writing I will be doing on my own. I simply do not have the time when I'm trying to write professionally. However, since it is the only story I'll write, I promise to make sure it is of a quality as close to that of my professional writing as possible.

This story is rated T+ for some graphic bloody violence, mild language, and possibly some suggestive themes. Depending on your morals, you may consider it rated M, though I personally don't think it's that bad. If you think I should up the rating, tell me. I have not yet decided whether a chapter will be rated M (or MA, depending on how you look at it) though this will probably not happen as I don't enjoy writing sex scenes. Basically, if you're 13+ you should be safe.

Also, as I mentioned, this story's plot moves SLOWLY. There is plenty of action, mystery, drama, and yes of course ladies, romance. But if you are only interested in the "kissy-kissy-goo-goo" romantic senses, I am sorry to disappoint. They don't come in until at least the second half of the book. SLOW process, remember? Lots of sexual tension.

One more clarification on the romance part, THIS IS SAKURAXGAARA. Yes, in the beginning there is an implied SakuraXSasuke, but to all of you Sasuke haters out there, he's not too bad when he's in play and the romance goes NOWHERE, I assure you.

Now, I'm done with my rant and I believe I promised you all a full summary. Well, here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I apologize ahead of time for any spelling or grammatical errors. Writers and writers, not editors.

Full Summary

The world was in turmoil, demons and monsters wreaking havoc on humanity, as it had been since before anyone could remember. But there was still hope. A prophecy spoke of a princess who would restore balance to the world, and, on her sixteenth birthday, Sakura learned she was this princess. Sheltered and protected within the walls of Konoha all her life, she is forced to face her destiny, to redeem her country, and save her world. But nothing is ever that simple. With the world's demons coming after her and deceitful plots around every corner, there is no one who can be trusted. And, to make matters worse, the one person who was meant to protector her might end up being her downfall in the end, that is, if he doesn't kill her first…

Prolog

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

I sat perfectly still, concealed in the shadows the city walls created. I chanced one last glance through the open gates; looking upon the village I had called my home for so many years.

Night encroached, the city that glistened in the sun all but disappearing from the world, consumed by the darkness. The huge, green trees surrounding the land looks as if they were swallowing my home hole, never to release it. It saddened me to think I would never see Konoha again.

I wiped away the single tear that escaped my eye, erasing the tear track in its entirety. Looking back to what lay beyond the village's gate, I saw nothing. Nothing but the giant trees, black and menacing stretching to the sky, going on for miles.

Those branches. Those leaves. They were all so threatening. They all screamed they were out to get me.

It was dark, no light at all visible through the branches. The shades of black, so close to the same, blended together, making my eyes play tricks on me. I saw shadowy figures that were not there, glistening eyes from my imagination staring back at me. But most of all, I saw the horrid monsters that roamed the lands stalking towards me with intent to kill.

I shivered in fear rather than from the cool night air. How much longer did I have to wait?

Then I saw them. Three red eyes shinning through the dark. They met my gaze and my heart skipped a beat; I felt the adrenalin rush to my feet telling my body to run. In the same second my irrational fear faded. The three red eyes, two close together, one further apart, blinked twice each, paused, then blinked once more. That was my signal.

I walked forward, clutching the single kunai knife I was permitted to carry. The only defense I had, and I didn't even know how to use it. Oh, how I wish they had let me learn, especially now as I walked towards the eyes.

My black ninja uniform scraped gently against the brush as I entered the encroaching forest so close to the village's wall. The cloth felt uncomfortable as it hugged the skin of my body. This was the first time I had ever worn something other than a dress, and it felt unnatural.

I gasped and almost screamed as two figures fell from the forest's canopy, landing in front of me. My hand flew to my heart, trying to calm its erratic beating.

"It's alright," the first figure whispered, laying a strong, protective hand on my shoulder to comfort me. I took a calming breath.

"How about you loosen your grip on that thing?" he said, nodding to the kunai knife I carried. "We don't want you to end up stabbing your eye out." Kakashi laughed lightly, his since of humor shinning through even in the most serious of circumstances.

Kakashi Hatake. Jounin level ninja, former onbu black ops commander, and the current leader of Squad Seven, made up of him and three other shinobi from our village.

"You don't have to worry," the young man at his side said quietly. "We've been protecting you for years. We certainly are not going to fail you now, on the night our final mission is to be carried out."

He ran one of his pale hands threw his blue-black hair, slicking it back like he always did. A habit. It moved strait back to they way it had been, hanging in his face.

Sasuke Uchiha. Currently a chunin level ninja, on paper, though he was probably stronger than even Kakashi. He was the first member of Squad Seven, and until recently my crush. I'd loved him for as long as I could remember, but now everything had changed…

A harsh wind blew through the forest then, rustling the leaves, making the branches creek. I shivered in the cold.

"Here." Sasuke said, pulling something out of his pack. Before I could reach for the clumped, black mass he was handing to me, Sasuke had stepped forward, draping it around my shoulders. Lately he did everything for me. Now that I thought about it, he'd always done a lot for me…

He fastened the clasp under my neck, laying the black cloak neatly on my shoulders and lifting the hood over my hair, hiding it from view.

"Let's move." Kakashi said. His head turned to scan the deep wood we would be running into. Sasuke did the same thing, his red sharingan eyes swirling and growing brighter.

"Yes, let's. It's best to move quickly, especially considering how close the beasts have been coming to the village lately." Sasuke commented. Then he turned to me, his red eyes piercing. "Remember, I'll be on your left, Kakashi on your right. Whatever you do, keep moving forward, no matter what. Understand?"

I nodded.

"_No matter what_." He stressed.

"Y-yes." I whispered, hoping with all of my heart that it would not come to that. I could not bear to see one of my friends hurt because of me. Oh why did I have to be who I was?

Sasuke nodded, convinced by my lie.

"You _must_ use your training now. The endurance preparation from this past month was not for nothing. Run as fast as you can. _Don't _look back." Kakashi reminded me once more. Once again I nodded. I would do whatever they wished me to do. Anything to help lessen the burden of my comrades. If they were to fall because of me…

"Alright. Let's go." Sasuke said, grabbing my arm and running into the forest. He hoisted me up into the trees, running along the branches, leaping from tree to tree. It took me a moment to get used to dodging everything, but once I did Sasuke released my arm. Kakashi-sensei ran along with us on my other side.

I forced my feet to move as fast as they could. I'd never done this before, not outside the village, but I'd been practicing. Hopefully I'd make it to our destination before my energy ran out.

We could not afford to stop, not now that we had started. Beasts, monsters, and demons of all shapes and sizes stalked the woods, the mountains, planes, and the deserts of our world, just waiting to attack and kill any human daring to enter their domain, especially me.

So far the demons were isolated, living only in the most remote places in the world. They roamed the giant forest we were traveling though, but they rarely moved outside of the very heart of the forest. We were still in the outer rim of the woods, but wouldn't be for long. Soon things would get dangerous.

It was only highly trained and skilled shinobi that could travel through the demon's territories. The caravan roots and traveling paths went around these areas, protected by traps for the beasts if they dared to get close, which they didn't do often.

There were still attacks, those who never made it back alive, but lately the monsters had been less fearsome. The last sixteen years or so had been surprisingly quiet, more so than it had been in centuries. But silence is not always golden. The monsters had been preparing, watching and waiting.

They'd know we were coming and exactly who I was. They'd since it before any of us could hide it. They'd probably already caught on though we'd probably only gone about ten miles, maybe twenty if we were lucky.

"They're coming!" Sasuke said in his hard tone. My eye widened with fear and I looked to Kakashi. Already? I thought we had more time…

Kakashi simply nodded. "They'll be upon us in roughly ten minutes."

"Odd. We aren't anywhere near the forest's center." Sasuke said, keeping his eyes focused on something far off in the trees that I could not see. "Would you like me to go ahead and take care of them?"

No! Don't let him go! Not by himself! There was no way of telling how strong they were. He could be killed! Just let them kill me! As long as they didn't take Sasuke!

"No," Kakashi responded and I felt my heart soar. "Keep to the plan. We stay with the target. When they come close, then we can break into battle formation." He looked to me then, talking with a serious and stern look I'd rarely seen from him. "Run as fast as you can without wearing yourself out. We've got to cover as much ground as possible before they attack."

I swallowed hard. I could do this. I knew I could. I gave him a small, determined smile and a stiff nod. This was the last thing I could do for him as his student, my last chance to make him proud, and I would not let him down.

My feet pounded against each tree branch with more intensity, rocketing me further forward with the help of my newfound adrenaline. I had to do my best for the sake of their lives, for the sake of all our lives.

Oh how I wished Sasuke would talk to me, or Kakashi. Just to hear their voices, but neither said a word. I could tell Kakashi was deep in thought, probably mapping out battle possibilities in his head. Sasuke appeared to be doing the same.

With their voices absent from the space around me, I heard nothing. My feet moved noiselessly over the branches as did the others. I had to focus in on the sound of my own heart beat to stop the silence from giving me a panic attack.

I counted the minutes as they passed. Five. Seven. Eight. Nine.

I gasped with realization as the last second ticked by. Ten minutes had passed. But still, my commander and comrade remained silent, their red eyes focused in front of us, looking nowhere else but strait forward. The silence was broken then when Sasuke smirked.

"Hem." He grinned.

"What? What is it?" I asked, frantic for an answer as my feet continued to propel me through the trees.

"The demons cut around. They were going to try and attack us from the front." He smirked again. "Guess they didn't expect be massacred. Don't scream." He added as a command.

I was about to ask him what he meant when suddenly a huge demon appeared in the path in front of us. I covered my mouth to stop from crying out, remembering Sasuke's command. The demon was dead, smashed against the trunk of a tree. We passed it, Kakashi and Sasuke not giving its dead body a second glance. I did not remove my eyes from its form until it was too fare behind us to see without stopping.

I turned my head back around, away from the dead demon behind me and to the path we were following. I gasped again. All around us, hanging from every branch, below and above, scattered upon the ground far beneath our perch in the trees were the bodies of dead demons.

"I knew it was a good idea to send him along first to clear the way." Kakashi smiled under his black mask.

Sasuke nodded, keeping his gaze forward. The blood stained the bark and leaves, shinning even in the dark. I covered my mouth, afraid I was going to be sick. My steps faltered and my pace slowed.

"Don't slow down!" Sasuke commanded. "It's not over yet."

I looked to him, shocked by the expression on his face. His red eyes contrasted greatly with his dark hair, light skin, and the blue of his shirt. But in those hard eyes I saw something. Fear, fear, not for himself, but for me. Why couldn't he have looked upon me with such concern and care under different circumstances? I knew it would not be appropriate given who I was, but still…

Then the words he had spoken sunk in. It wasn't over, not yet anyway. We still had a long way to go, and the enemy was probably still closing in on use. I nodded to him, speeding up again and looking forward with determination. I had to do this. For him, for Kakashi-sensei... for the world.

I didn't know how much time passed, but everything between us returned to silence, only this time it was different. It was too quiet. The feeling something was wrong started to eat away at my insides, refusing to cease no matter how many time I told myself everything was alright. Sasuke and Kakashi would know if something was up.

Finally, when I couldn't take it anymore I turned my head towards Sasuke, watching him as he ran along beside me.

"S-Sasuke?" I whispered.

_Crash! _

It was so sudden I wasn't sure of what had happened until many seconds after. A demon, more fearsome and evil than any of the corpses we had seen so far had leaped down from the canopy above, wielding its huge clawed hands like a weapon. It came strait for Sasuke, its great hand cutting through the torso of his body before his eyes had even moved to view his attacker.

I watched in horror as the blood spewed from his body, a body that was almost cut completely in half. Sasuke's broken form fell from the trees, crashing towards the ground. That's when I lost it. I screamed as I had never screamed before, stopping dead in my tracks on a large tree branch.

Then the demon that had been Sasuke's end was in front of me. Its claws, still covered in my comrade's fresh blood, came down to hack away at me; I couldn't even close my eyes I was so scared. I didn't even move, anchored to the stop in fear. But then the demon stopped in mid swing, its mouth gapping to roar, though no sound came out.

I looked away from the demons eyes, down to his chest where a huge shurikan was sticking out. It collapsed, falling on its side, and there was Sasuke, standing behind the fallen demon, very much alive with his eyes blazing.

"Run!" he nearly screamed at me. When I did not immediately respond Sasuke grabbed both my shoulders and shook me hard. "You must run! _Now!" _he insisted, pushing me off the branch. He had used such force that I landed on the next branch, and somehow after that first motion my body continued to leap on from one giant tree limb to the next.

All I could think of, all I saw in front of my eyes was the demon that had almost killed me. Great and huge, twice the size of a man with gray, ashy skin, black eyes and dark brown hair covering most of its body. It walked on its hind legs and had arms that hung at its sides. I'd never forget that face, shaped somewhat like a cross between a man's, a wolf's, and something else I could not identify.

The demons kept appearing, coming at me from all directions, but my protectors fulfilled their missions. Sasuke on my left dispatched them before I even knew they were coming; Kakashi did the same. I ran faster.

I kept on, determined to keep my eyes focused straight ahead. I knew if I looked to one of the sides I might have seen how close to me the demons truly were.

I put my hands out in front of me to push aside a patch of leaves and run through them, but what meant me beyond the leaves stop dead in my tracks. Another demon, just as fearsome as the dead one whose face I now carried with me in my memories, stood before me. This one was on all fours, ready to leap for me and tear out my jugular.

There was a brief flash of another body colliding with the demon's, then both were gone.

"Run!" I heard Kakashi and Sasuke holler at me, and so I did, my thoughts consumed with that great demon I was sure was going to come back and get me at any second.

There was an ear shattering crunching sound to my side as something came crashing through the canopy. Thinking it was a demon like last time I screamed.

"It's just Naruto." I heard Kakashi's voice explain.

I did a double take, only to come to the conclusion that it indeed was Naruto, leaping from branch to branch on all fours, taking up position right by my side. I'd barely recognized him.

He wore a black T-shirt and black pants, an outfit dissimilar to the one I had seen him in every day since I could remember, but that was not why I did not recognize him. His yellow hair was spiked up more than usual and the lines on his face were more defined, like an animals whiskers. He had fangs and claws like all the demons around us, and, lastly his eyes glowed red with the power of the monster he truly was.

Naruto Uzumaki. The second member of Squad Seven. Like Sasuke he was a Chunin on paper, but in actuality was much stronger. I'd thought, just as strong as Sasuke until the truth about him had been made known to me a few months ago.

It all clicked into place then. Naruto was the one who had massacred the ones before, to buy us time. I didn't like it when Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke kept things from me. I'd thought Naruto was staying behind; a silly thought really considering his soul purpose for being created was to be my protector.

He looked at me then, as we continued to run from the ever-advancing monsters behind us. He smiled at me, his red eyes turning upward as they would do if they were blue.

"Surprised to see me?" he asked.

"No," I lied.

"We've got about five hours left until sun-up. We'll have to hurry if we want to reach our checkpoint on time since I'm expecting we're going to have a few more delays," Kakashi muttered, slicing the head off the last demon perusing us.

"Right." We all responded, picking up our speed.

I don't know if it was because of his demonic powers or because my worried emotions were leaking out of me, but somehow Naruto knew how on-edge I was, just as he always knew how I was feeling.

"Don't worry," he whispered to me, his red eyes locking with mine. "I'll protect you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Sakura."

Sakura Haruno. The last member of Squad Seven. A trained medical ninja rather than a fighting shinobi, what they called an off-field ninja since I never partook in missions or battles. An average sixteen year old girl of no extreme significance. At least, that was who I was, until a few months ago, on the day of my sixteenth birthday…

END

Well, there you go. One complete prolog. Please note, this will be the only chapter written in first person, as it is not my strong suit.

Please review, whether you thought it was good or not. Both praise and constructive criticism are welcome, just no bashing please.

Next Chapter - Chapter 1: Forgetful Friends This will be posted: Suday the 22nd at around 11:00 AM, Eastern Time

Until next time,

-Tristen1497


	2. Chapter 1: Forgetful Friends

No reviews… which makes me a little irked. How am I supposed to improve with no criticism and be motivated to post with no praise? -_-

Hope this motivates you. Two chapters at once, and over a week ahead of schedule too. Read, and then _please _review. If you guys don't, I'll get very sad. :'( Note: at the end of chapter 2 will be the release date for chapter 3, and I swear, if I don't get SOME kind of response out of you guys, I shall crawl under a rock and not write for a month.

I don't own Naruto. Also, sorry the story's moving slow at this point. It picks up in chapters 3-8, I promise. No bashing for SP! I checked it twice, people.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Chapter 1

Forgetful Friends

The light shined through the pink curtains adorning the window, soaking Sakura's room with light. It just so happened that her big, pink and red canopy bed faced that window and it was also a coincidence that each morning the light came through to shine _directly_ on her face.

Moaning, she turned over and threw the covers over her head, trying to get back to sleep. At the same time, the sound of the kids playing out in the street amplified.

Sakura groaned again, forcibly trying to jam pillows into her ear canals. It did nothing to quiet the screeching. Throwing the covers off of her, Sakura I gave up, sitting up out of bed just a little too quickly. The room spun for a moment, then was still. The silky, pink night gown she wore to bed slid gracefully over her skin as she stood, making her way to the bathroom. She ran through her routine.

Get up, comb hair, brush teeth…

"Ahh!"

Her thoughts were interrupted once again by the noisy kids. Sakura turned around, walking back towards her window.

The two children didn't notice her head stick out of the second story window. They were too busy playing around with their parent's ninja tools.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Koujo! Konki!" She yelled down to them, her voice somewhat panicked. The boys whirled around, and as they did one lost hold of the kunai knife he'd been holding. The knife soared out of his grasp, through the air, and directly towards Sakura.

_Cling! _

The weapon changed direction, imbedding itself in the wood of the window frame, missing her head.

"Sakura-chan!"

Of course, who else would have been there to deflect the kunai but Sakura's loud-mouthed teammate?

Naruto, dressed as always in blinding orange, walked up her slanted roof, stopping right in front of her window.

"Are you alright?" he asked Sakura, looking slightly upward since he was still technically on the part of the roof belonging to the first story and her window was on the second.

"Naruto-" She started to say, but he was gone before Sakura could continue. He stood on the street below the house in front of Koujo and Konki, the two small boys.

"What do you think you were doing? You almost killed Sakura-chan! Didn't anyone teach you to never play with weapons? They're dangerous!" he barked at the cowering children.

Sakura felt a sweat droplet form on the side of her forehead and she sighed. He'd never change.

While her comrade's attention was still focused elsewhere her eyes drifted back to the kunai stuck in the wood of the house. It was like it was calling to her, daring her to touch it…

Now," Naruto said, placing his hands on his hips. "I hope you both learned your lesson."

"Yes, Naruto." The children muttered, keeping their eyes on their feet as their shoes drew patterns in the dirt.

"Good!" He smiled impishly. "That was a close call, right Sakura?" Looking back at the bedroom window, his friend was nowhere in sight.

"Sakura!" He yelled, running towards the house as quickly as his feet would carry him.

She had just managed to shove the box back under her bed before Naruto propelled himself into the room.

"Sakura-chan!" He yelled. His mouth automatically closed when he saw his friend get up from her knees as gracefully as she could manage.

"Naruto, you should lower your tone." She said calmly.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright? You're not hurt are you? I can't believe those boys! They could have killed you!"

Her calm face decomposed, replaced with pure irritation. "Naruto! Shut up!" She barked, sending him her best glare. He lowered his head in shame, closing his mouth and taking a step back from his friend.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asked, but you know, I _really _don't like it when you hang around my house all the time. It's… weird."

"But… I was protecting you."

"I don't need protection! It's not like a clan of demons are going to suddenly appear and kill me at any given moment!" She groaned.

"How can you be so sure?" He replied, seriousness in his voice.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, the point is I can't have my best friend hanging around my house all the time. It looks creepy." Her arms crossed over her chest. "We're both _way _too old to have you around at all hours, especially first thing in the morning when I'm in my PJ's!"

A light bulb went off in her mind at the mention of how they were too old for such antics, her head turning towards the calendar on her wall. It had X's on the days that had already passed and the next day not crossed out, was circled with writing in the middle and the number sixteen written in bold.

Sakura smiled, turning back to him. "I suppose it would be ok that you came over this early though if you had a good reason. A reason concerning what day it is." He didn't appear to get the hint. "What very _special_ day it is."

Naruto thought for a moment, but she was not fooled. The confusion on his face was a ploy. There was no way he had forgotten her sixteenth birthday. Then his features lit up with recognition, his blue eyes sparkling.

"I remember why I came by now!" he said happily.

"Yes? Yes?" Sakura could feel her excitement rising.

"Because today _is_ a _very_ special day!"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Today's Sunday!"

Her face fell. "What?"

He smiled brightly at her. "Yeah! Today's the day Sasuke's agreed to battle with me!" Her face fell further. "And I was coming by to ask you if you would come with us-"

_Me? Be allowed to fight? Hand to hand combat? Forget that he didn't remember my birthday. This so makes up for it!_

Then Naruto finished his sentence "And be referee!"

Sakura almost died, but, as usual, Naruto didn't notice.

"I don't think I can go Naruto. I've got plans today." She said. If he was going to forget her birthday like that, then she wasn't going to help him.

"Aw! PLEASE?" he started to beg, dropping to his knees and clasping his hands in front of his chest. "_Please_, Sakura?" Then came the fake tears, rolling down from his big blue eyes.

"Naruto…" She tried to protest, obviously faltering on her decision not to help.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeas?" he whined, his eyes still glistening with tears.

Sakura sighed. She always gave in. "Alright."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks _so_ much Sakura-chan! You're the best!" He gave her a spine-crushing hug. "We'll be down at the training fields. Come by after lunch, alright?"

"Alright…" She sighed again. "Now can you leave me along so I can get dressed?"

"No problem!" He grinned at her before moving to hop out the bedroom window.

She shook her head back and forth as she walked towards the bathroom door. Naruto would never change.

The bathroom was big, and, like most things Sakura owned, it was pink. A pink marble tub and shower and light pink walls. Looking in the mirror, she wondered why this was. Was it because her hair was a pastel pink that everything owned seemed to be that shade? Or was it just because her mom and dad had it stuck in their heads that she was a princess?

She grabbed her hair brush and started the battle against the mess, the most exciting part about the day. It had become quite a challenge over the years, especially now that it ran like a curtain _way_ down her back, stopping at her hip bones. After untangling the pink hair Sakura washed the sleep out of her emerald eyes and hopped into the hot shower.

For some reason as she ran her fingers through her wet hair all she could think of was Naruto. They'd been friends for… ever, she supposed. Ever since grade school at the ninja academy.

Sakura always wondered how they became friends. Her parents had insisted she was far too delicate to become a real shinobi, but seeing how much she wanted to at least try, they enrolled her. Unfortunately, Sakura didn't know until her first class that she was not going to be trained as a _real _shinobi, but at a medical ninja.

And so she was limited to working inside. No hand-to-hand combat. No weapons. No hard physical work. Just her, her chakara, and a hospital room.

So, Naruto and Sakura weren't even in the same classes, yet still, somehow he managed to form a friendship with her. He was nearly three years older than her as well, but way back when, ten years ago during that first day when she had no one to sit next to at lunch he'd invited her to join him.

Ever since, they'd been the best of friends. He was always looking out for her, protecting her from anyone who dared to hurt her in any way and helping her however he could. Sometimes, more than he should. Once Sakura got him in trouble by asking him to train her as a real shinobi. Her parents were so upset she wouldn't have been surprised if they'd never been able to hang out after that, but for some unknown reasons they did nothing about the incident.

Naruto had no parents, and somehow that made their bond stronger. They were each other's family. There were times when Sakura had her doubts, thinking that maybe he liked her as more, but she had nothing to worry about. He had a crush on Hinata Hyuga, feelings the blond refused to act upon no matter how often Sakura encouraged him.

For some reason Naruto managed to fail his Gennin exam three years in a row, so they ended up graduating together. Regardless, Sakura thought for sure graduation would be the end of their friendship. He'd become a shinobi. She'd be trapped in a hospital, but something amazing happened.

Come graduation day Sakura was informed she would be part of a ninja squad. She still wasn't allowed in hand-to-hand combat, or allowed to go on missions, but she was still a part of a team.

And even more extraordinary was that Naruto would be her teammate. They would still be able to have their friendship. Sakura thought it couldn't get any better but it did. Sasuke Uchiha was on the team. Of course Naruto didn't like it one bit. In fact, he seemed to outright hate Sasuke's guts, like he didn't want anyone else near Sakura whether they be friend or more than that.

Eventually they got used to each other, and though Sasuke still didn't return her crush-like feelings at least they'd become something along the lines of friends.

And then of course there was Kakashi-sensei. To put it simply, Kakashi-sensei, in Sakura's opinion, was the coolest guy ever. He took her under his wing, making her feel included.

All of them, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi; they became Sakura's family. She frowned as she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. And her best friend, Naruto, had forgotten her birthday.

END

So, what did you think? Boring? Lame? Or maybe, perhaps –probably not- good? Review or I'll go into a state of depression! 0_o

Also, since the story is not complete as of yet, PLEASE, feel free to pitch ideas about what you'd like to see happen. I'm WAY open to suggestions. Thanks!

-Tristen1497


	3. Chapter 2: Teddy Bear

No owning of Naruto has taken place during the duration of this chapter. Checked spelling twice even though it's probably still kinda bad…

HUGE DISCLAIMER: For this chapter, there is an implied SakuraXSasuke. I DO NOT support this pairing! In fact I HATE Sasuke A LOT! Evil chicken-butt-hair-dude must die! 0_o But for my story I turned him somewhat good/cool for when he's in play. Please, do not let this discourage you from bashing him quietly in your minds as you read…

Please review when you've finished reading!

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Chapter 2

Teddy Bear

Stepping from Sakura's bathroom into the bedroom was like entering another part of some bizarre pink world. The huge pink and red bed. The Valentine's Day carpeting, rose red walls, white dresser, pink closet door… The list went on and on.

Opening the door to the walk-in closet was hazardous. Sakura's wardrobe had a habit of bursting out and burying you in a mountain of fabric. She picked her favorite outfit, the most tom-boy-ish thing she owned; a short red dress with short sleeves tied with a white sash. She'd wanted to get the one with slits on the sides and black shorts underneath, but her mother wouldn't hear of it.

She'd raised Sakura to be a lady from day one. Of course, there was the no fighting rule, but that was just one part. Dresses were all that were acceptable to be worn by a lady. Anything feminine was good. Too many boy-ish things and Sakura's parents felt she would be turning into a freak.

Sakura couldn't count how many tea ceremonies she'd attended, how many edict classes she'd taken. The classes on politics, eloquence, poise. She was raised in every aspect of the word, as a lady.

But for some reason, she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. As Sakura pinned up her hair in the vanity's mirror she knew, by nature, she'd always been quiet, shy, and easily swayed to think one thing or another. Yet, despite what people might think, she was a willing participant in the grooming. She _liked _dresses, frilly things, and the color pink. They were a part of who she was.

Yet, still, sometimes there was that emptiness. Like something was missing.

Moving to peek under her bed, Sakura pulled out the ox she'd hid there long ago. Her delicate unscarred hands reached for it, gently lifting the lid to reveal her treasures. A few inactive paper bombs, two or three shurikan, some old scrolls for jutsu, some senbon, and now, the newest item, the small kunai knife that had been accidentally thrown at her that morning.

The shinobi things signified that little part way deep down inside that wanted a chance to play like the other kids, dress in shorts, get dirty, fight. That was the reasoning behind her original wish to become a shinobi, but after years of being beaten back, her will had almost disappeared altogether. Every once in a while, she'd feel the longing, but for now her life was sufficient enough. Like she told herself over and over, she didn't mind the pink.

Walking down the stairs she had to restrain herself from running in a un-lady-like manner, the excitement getting to her. What had her parents done for her for her birthday? As it turned out, nothing. Nothing was out of place, and nothing had changed.

The house was deserted; her parents had already left for the day. Without a goodbye. Without a happy birthday, or any other words that acknowledged that she existed. There was a note pinned to the fridge with a butterfly magnet.

Sakura,

You're father and I were called out on a mission. We'll be back before sundown. Be home by seven. Food's in the fridge.

-Mom

.

Just like Naruto, They had forgotten…

_Ring!_

_Ring!_

Holding back her tears Sakura answered the phone. "Hello?" she said, trying to force the smile into her voice.

"_Hey Sakura! It's Ino! Happy Birthday!"_

"Oh hi Ino. Thank you."

"_So, I'm dying to know! What did you parents get you? A new dress? A surprise vacation? Jewelry?"_

"Actually Ino," She bit her lip. "They forgot."

Her friend gasped. _"Really? How… How _could _they? They're your _parents_!"_

"Yeah, well Naruto forgot too,"

"_But it's Naruto. That's to be expected, but you mom a dad?"_

"I know. It's crazy, but I don't care. So, what are we going to do today?"

"_Um… Actually Sakura, that's why I'm calling you. My mom's making me work the store."_

Sakura's heart sank again.

"_But we can still go out for dinner tonight ok? Meet you at the sushi bar at five thirty?"_

"A- alright Ino. See you later."

"_Kay, bye."_

"Bye."

The phone line went dead and Sakura let her tears go. Perhaps she was being a spoiled brat, but it was her birthday. Her _sixteenth birthday_ and not only did people forget, but it seemed as if no one really cared.

With a heavy heart Sakura ate breakfast, slung the long strap of her purse over her head and shoulder and headed for the door, slipping on her red sandals as she went. Today she wore her shinobi headband around her neck, though the symbol today made her sad. It really wasn't worth anything, just like her…

She gasped when she swung the front door inward, stunned in place by her teammate standing less than a foot away from her, one hand raised as if just about to knock on the door. Sasuke's other hand was behind his back, but at the moment Sakura was a bit preoccupied with the stunned expression on his face that mirrored her own.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, still dazed. "Sasuke. I… didn't expect to see you here." She smiled, rocking back on her heals a bit.

He blinked, slowly letting his raised hand drop to his side.

Sakura glanced briefly up and down the street. "Um… is there something you needed me for?"

He cleared his throat. "Ua, yeah, I…"

Sakura's eye brows raised. Sasuke never acted so… un-cool.

He continued, looking away. "Um… Happy Birthday." In the same instance as he wished her a happy birthday he shoved something white into her face. She almost chocked on the fluff, moving to hold whatever it was in her hands.

She gasped. The teddy bear was all white with shimmering black eyes and a red bow around its neck. Her eyes lit up.

"You… said you liked it, last week, after training when you saw it in the shop window." He clarified, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Thank you!" she smiled, almost running forward to give him a hug but deciding against it at the last minute. After all Sasuke wasn't a hugging kind of guy. "I love it!" She hugged the bear instead.

"Want to go for a walk?"

Sakura's jaw dropped. What on earth was going on? "Ua… sure…?"

Walking down the street with Sasuke was… weird, especially when he started to lead her down streets with less and less people on them until they were walking down a dirt path around the back side of the mountain with the stone faces.

"So ua… thanks again for the present." Sakura tried to break the silence. Sasuke shrugged. "I'm glad you remembered."

More silence.

"Naruto forgot."

"Oh?" He mused.

"Yeah… And Ino had to work the shop."

"That's too bad."

"Hey Sasuke, where are we going?"

"We're almost there."

Sakura didn't ask any more questions. That was, until the silence became unbearable.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

"Um… why are you being so nice to me today? Is it just because it's my birthday?"

"I'm always nice to you."

She bit her lip. It was true he'd never done anything mean to her, per say but… perhaps 'nice' wasn't the right word.

"What I meant is, why are you being so… friendly?"

Then he turned to look at her, something he hadn't done since they began their excursion. "I'm trying to make up."

She frowned. "For what?"

"For not being more friendly throughout these years." She stared at him as he continued. "You've got something about you that makes everyone you meet like you, and don't get me wrong; it's not that I didn't _want _to be your friend. It's just… It makes it difficult with your crush on me."

Sakura blushed so red her face matched her dress and she clutched her teddy tighter. She tried to think of something to say, as the silence ensued but nothing came to mind. What was she supposed to say after a comment like that? Then, just when she opened her mouth Sasuke spoke again.

"I've never understood girls and window shopping."

She blinked. "What?"

He looked at her again. "Why go around, looking at things you want, but can't have? It seems pointless to me. I'm the type of person that won't pursue any goal without complete and total confidence that I could achieve it."

Sakura looked to her feet feeling foolish. Was he trying to tell her she was stupid for liking him, knowing it was never going to happen?

"We're here." He said then, stopping in front of a bush.

Sakura blinked and looked around. "Where's here?" Before she could look back at him Sasuke had pushed her through the leaves and into beautiful clearing with a soft grassy floor and a glorious small pond nestled against the side of the mountain with a little water fall trickling down into the water.

"Surprise!" Naruto, Ino, and the rest of her friends shouted to her. "Happy Birthday!"

"Did you _really_ think I forgot?" Naruto smiled, walking up and giving her a crushing hug.

"Well you _are_ an idiot…" Sasuke murmured with a smirk.

"Shut up." The blond shot back, before turning back to Sakura. "Today's your birthday, and there's no way any of your friends were going to let you get away without this being the best day of your life!"

Naruto was true to his word. The whole day, Sakura and her friends celebrated, swimming in the pool, playing childish games, and reliving the days when they were all just little kids. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end.

"I don't think I ever want to eat again," groaned Naruto, gripping his stomach.

Ino snorted. "Yeah right. You'll be hungry again in an hour." She flipped her blond hair as they continued to make their way down the road towards Sakura's house.

"Thank you so much for the dinner Ino!" Sakura smiled. "You were right. That sushi bar is _amazing_!"

"Yeah, it actually wasn't that bad." Naruto added.

"Better than the stuff at Ichi-Raku?" Sasuke questioned, walking with his hands shoved into the pockets of his white shorts.

"No way! All food is nasty compared to Ichi-Raku ramen!"

Ino's fists clenched. "Hey! That food was expensive! If you didn't like, pay up!" She held her hand out in front of Naruto's face, waiting for money.

"I-I was just joking." he stuttered, thinking of the empty wallet in his back pocket.

"Well I wasn't! Fork it over, Blondie!"

"Who are you calling Blondie? You're hair's blonder than mine!"

Sasuke smirked. "But your hair is _naturally_ that color, Naruto."

"Yeah Naruto! You're hair is naturally… Hey! Did you just call me a _fake blond?_" Ino shrieked, her fists clenching.

"Maybe…" Sasuke said lazily. Ino fumed.

Sakura smiled as she watched her friends. They really worked hard to help her have the best day ever. Even Sasuke had put forth a good effort not to be gloomy, but now as they neared her house, Sakura could feel the atmosphere changing. Though the day had been amazing something was still… off.

"Bye you guys! And Happy Birthday again, Sakura!" Ino called to her, heading down her own street.

"Bye Ino." Sakura smiled. Then, turning to her teammates. "Thanks again you guys for making this the best day ever."

"No problem." Sasuke shrugged. "It was Naruto's idea though,"

Looking to Naruto then Sakura's smiled dimmed. The way Naruto was carrying himself, his back hunched, his hands in his pockets. Something was bothering him. And Sasuke too seemed to be hiding something behind his cool and collective composure. Now Sakura knew she wasn't just imagining it. Something was up.

"Naruto?" she asked.

He turned to her with his usual big smile on his lips. "Yeah Sakura?" He was very convincing, but not quite good enough.

"Naruto what's up? Is there something wrong-"

"Ooo! Look we're here!" He cut her off, pointing to her house. Sakura frowned. Had they been walking extra fast or had she just lost track of time? She could have sworn they had several minutes left before they were to reach her house.

Always the gentleman, Naruto opened the door for her. He filed in after her along with Sasuke.

"Sakura," Naruto started to say, in a rushed tone, as if he didn't have much time to say what was on his mind. "I hope you had the best birthday ever."

The look in his eyes, and the tone of voice he'd used scared Sakura. She looked to Sasuke to see sadness in his eyes, sadness that mirrored that which existed in Naruto's eyes.

"Guys, what's going on?" she asked. Sakura was starting to get scared, something that showed through in her voice when she spoke.

"Sakura."

She turned around to see her mother, a slight woman with short, strait, black hair and a kind smile and her father, a tall, man with a stocky build and short brown hair, both standing in the archway connecting the entryway to the living room.

Their presence didn't startle her. No, it was the look in their eyes that frightened her. They were filled with sadness, the same sadness that was present in both Sasuke's and Naruto's eyes.

"Sakura," her mother repeated in a quiet, sad voice. "Please go freshen up and be ready to leave in five minutes."

"What? Why?" she asked, the terror rising in her voice. "Were are we going?"

Sakura's mother bit her lip. "Sakura, there's something you need to know."

END

REVIEW! 0_o

Chapter 3: Birthday to be released Sunday the 22nd at around 11:00 AM, Eastern Time

-Tristen1497


	4. Chapter 3: Birthday Story

So… yeah… disappointed. Only 4 reviews, 3 of which from THE SAME PERSON. -_- (thanks for them by the way Echo Uchiha. This chapter is dedicated to you because of that) But still people! Tell me what you think! Give me something! Anything!

I took 3 chapters and put them together here for one long chapter of doom to encourage you, so review!

NOTE: 2crazy random people will start writing their farewell fanfiction soon, so expect it within the next six months. For anyone who likes comedy, check out our other 3 stories and get caught up for the final installment.

Chapter 3 

Birthday Story

The room was plain and small, filled only with the necessities. A bed that had never been used and one corner equipped with a toilet. Nothing else. The walls were gray, made of stones as was the cold floor and the spiraling tower that led upward to nothing but a plain ceiling.

Nothing but of the sound of footsteps pacing back and forth across the stone flowed through the chamber. It was dark, almost as black as night since no windows were printed into the walls. They'd learned their lesson the first couple of times. The walls had to be made of brick and there could be no openings.

The pacing stopped suddenly as another sound pervaded the air. Another set of footsteps, walking towards the chamber door. The guard thought back to how scared he was on his first day at the job as he put the key in the lock and turned it. The heavy door swung open with a loud creek, slamming against the stone wall. Now he had no problem with it. The routine was just that, a routine.

Light from the hallway beyond flooded into the small chamber, dowsing it in a bright yellow glow. The guard saw no one in the room beyond. It was completely deserted, but he was not fooled. Indeed, he'd been though this routine many times before…

In a split second the usual figure appeared in front of him and, despite himself, the guard felt shivers go down his spine.

The boy had grown since the first time he'd been sent to release him from his cell. He was no longer a boy, but a young man, tall, with a body coated in thin yet clearly viable muscles, muscles strong enough to break his head in half it one blow. He glared down at the guard with piercing green-blue eyes, hidden slightly by his red hair spilling over his brow.

"Hello, Utsute." He whispered in his husky voice, glaring the guard down menacingly.

"Hello, Gaara." Utsute answered as evenly as he could. No matter how used to this he was there was always something about those eyes, those eyes which held nothing but pure evil within their depths.

"I get to come out? Already? I thought it would be at least another three days." Gaara smirked.

"Tonight is your guard duty." Utsute said simply, holding up a small ring of black metal. "But I'm afraid you still have to wear this."

He heard Gaara make a low grumbling sound as Utsute came forward and used a small brown key to unlock the clasp at the back of the brown collar Gaara was wearing. The brown strap fell to the ground. The red head then grabbed the black collar, snapping it shut tightly around his neck. He turned around obediently so that Utsute could lock it in place with the small black key that fit it. Gaara watched with intense eyes as the black key, the brown key, and the brown collar were slipped back into Utsute's pocket, awaiting the time when they would be delivered back to the Kazekage.

Utsute led the way back up the spiraling staircase, back up to the ground floor.

"Why won't you put a window in that damn cell already?" Gaara asked, turning away from the stairwell's bright lights. "It would be nice if I didn't have to be locked in _total_ darkness."

"You'd just escape again." Utsute answered simply. "Don't think Lord Kazekage has forgotten what happened before when the walls were made of sand and the windows able to be broken."

Gaara tilted his head slightly. "Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't trust me either."

Utsute reached the top of the stairs, opening the door leading back up to the main level of the palace. The two guards standing on either side of the door cringed as Gaara walked by.

"So, this time will you try and stay out of trouble for a while? I don't enjoy locking you up every month." Utsute sighed.

Gaara snorted. "You're scared to death of me and wouldn't care if I dropped dead. You're probably even wishing it would happen, so don't try and show me sympathy."

"You're right. I just don't enjoy having to walk all the way down there then back up with you all alone."

Gaara chucked darkly. "Utsute, if I wanted you dead, you'd be six feet under by now. Don't forget, I was locked up this last time for killing that guard. What was his name?"

"Nokushi." Utsute whispered.

Gaara nodded, turning away from him and walking up one hallway of the palace, leaving Utsute alone. The sand colored walls and rich carpeting meant nothing to him as he turned corner after corner, making his way towards the tunnels leading under the city. Once he found the right one, Gaara walked on, waiting for the ending to come into view.

In the mean time, he thought. He thought about how much he hated that cell. He'd spent probably more than half of his nineteen years in that place as punishment for disobeying orders. Killing people without reason, being an unfaithful 'slave'.

And why shouldn't he be considered a slave? He was created for one reason: to serve the royal family of the kingdom of The Land of The Wind. And that was it. Not only that, but they treated him like a failed experiment because he didn't do exactly what he was told.

What did they expect? He was a demon, trapped within the body of a human. He resented them, so of course he was going to be violent and hostile. It was his nature combined with the loathing he felt towards all humans.

He felt no loyalty towards them or responsibility nor regret for disobeying orders. Gaara was surprised they hadn't killed him yet. The only reason he was probably still alive was because he was an immense asset to the country.

The tunnel ended at a door set into the side of the hardened sand. Opening it, Gaara entered the inner of the great wall that surrounded the capital, Suna, protecting it from the outside and the demons that lived there.

Shinobi were everywhere, walking from one lookout post to the next through the inner of the wall rather than walking along the rim on the outside. Most of the men were falling asleep on their feet after a long day of guarding the city.

Gaara rolled his eyes. Humans were so obsolete.

He took the stairs leading up one side of the sand wall, coming out of the trap door at the top. Closing the door behind him, Gaara looked out over his surroundings.

A massive wall with soaring guard towers, jetting up every fifty yards or so. It was almost a kilometer in length and nearly ten meters wide, towering three hundred feet high. The ultimate defense.

The desert beyond the wall was nothing but sand, an endless flat plane of grains that stretched on forever, obscured every once in a wile by a sand dune. Gaara watched as the colors of the setting sun danced on the sand's surface, casting spectrums of light across the already sparkling grains and painting the sky deep hues of red, purple, and orange.

Gaara didn't register that it was beautiful; all that registered in his mind was that yet another sunset was coming to pass. Yet another day wasted trapped in the servitude of humans, in a human body he hated.

He turned, scanning the desert as he walked towards one of the guard towers. He'd taken two steps when suddenly an unexplainable feeling anchored him in place. It was like a strange pain centered in his chest where his heart was.

His eyes were wide, shocked as he mentally tallied the days he'd spent in his cell. If his calculations were correct then… this was the day.

She'd been born July 7th, at exactly seven o'clock at night, right when the sun was setting, exactly sixteen years ago to the day. Which meant that today was her sixteenth birthday…

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

The capital city of The Land of Fire was Konoha, a great village centered within a huge forest of immense trees, towering at least fifty feet above the ground in places. The whole city was surrounded by huge walls of stone and brick that incased it in a protective ring.

The great stone face depicting the faces of the country's past kings was in the city's center, and if one headed towards the back of the mountain, they'd find nothing but those massive trees, broken only by the line, designating the wall.

Towards the bottom of this side of the mountain was the place where Sakura had spent her birthday party, happy and with her friends.

Now, she sat perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the waterfall and the pool, the last place she had been where everything was truly natural.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on them. Misery seemed to trickle through the air around her, coming from her very being. Why? Why did everything have to change? Why did she have to be who she was? Her mind drifted back to the crystal clear memory of what had happened on that fateful night…

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

The palace was a colossal building in the back of the city, centered at the foot of the mountain where the great stone faces were carved. It was in every since of the word a palace, dripping in detail with jade statues at the entrance to the grounds and gold shimmering off the edge of the roof.

Sakura felt nervous beyond words as they passed all the guards lining the stone path of the entrance. They passed a large building to the right of the actual palace, the Hokakge's building.

The system of power in her village, as it was in every one of the great nations, was a system of higherarchy. Ninja's moved up the scale starting at Gennin, then going to Chunin, Jounin, and then Onbu.

Then came the Hokage, the greatest ninja in the village. They were the commander and chief of the shinobi forces as the highest rank a ninja could perspire to.

The only one above a kage was the county's king. The royal family was not something one could rise up into entering. It was a birth right, something that had been kept within the royal families for centuries.

The kage and king ran the county, the kage taking care of all the military aspects and the king dealing with the political characteristics of government.

Sakura's parents lead the way up the front steps to the main doors, decorated in red and gold with jade statues of lions on either side. Two guards opened the doors, allowing them access into the palace.

She was lead up the main staircase and down a hall, at the end of which was a beautiful set of double doors, more extravagant than the front doors. There stood a woman Sakura new all too well though they'd never met.

"Lady Hokage." Her parents, Naruto and Sasuke all said, bowing to her. Sakura was in a state of shock, her mouth gapping and her eyes wide. She'd never met the Hokage before, but she was just as everyone had described her. Tall and beautiful with long blond hair. She wore a medical ninja's robe over her clothes, something that made Sakura's heart spark with admiration and envy.

She smiled at them. No; she smiled at her, directly at her, looking her strait in the eyes. Passing right by her parents and friends, the Hokage came towards her.

"L-Lady H-Hokage." She stuttered, bowing.

The Hokage chuckled lightly. "You shouldn't be bowing to me, Sakura. If anything, it is I who should be bowing to you."

Sakura looked up, confused.

"You may call me Lady Tsunade." She continued, smiley at her.

She turned to motion towards the double doors they stood in front of. "Please, follow me. His Majesty is expecting you."

His Majesty? As in the king? Sakura's jaw dropped and she stood their gapping, unable to speak or move forward as Lady Tsunade and her parents were now doing.

She responded only when she felt Naruto's hand gently incased hers, pulling her forward. Her feet moved forward with him though she wasn't sure if she'd told them to do so.

Beyond the door was a modest sized room with rich carpeting, shimmering pictures lining the walls, and many doors leading to other rooms. But the most noticeable thing in the room was a large, fluffy, pillow-like chair in which sat an old man, the king of The Land of Fire.

Sakura recognized his face right away, though, like Tsunade, she had never seen him before. His face was carved on to the rock face outside. Sarutobi. The greatest king Konoha had ever known.

"Please, come in." he said in his old, wise voice. Sakura was no longer breathing. In the last two minutes she'd met both the king and the Hokage. What more could happen in one day?

They all sat down on the floor in front of the king, their legs all folded under them in the correct manner.

Sakura felt like she was going to burst out of her skin as he looked at her, long and hard without saying anything. It made her feel subconscious, but the tightening in her stomach relaxed when he smiled at her.

"Yokuba, Shintsu, you two have done a wonderful job. Sakura is the perfect picture of a young lady. You have fulfilled your missions well." The king spoke, his wrinkly face turning up into a smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." They chanted together bowing to Sarutobi while remaining seated.

"But I'm afraid this means that your mission is now over. Your services to this girl will no longer be required. Please, make your goodbyes quick, for we still have much to talk about." He continued.

Sakura's parents bowed to him once more rising to their feet. Her mother took her daughter's hand and pulled her to her feet again.

"Sakura," she said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Knowing you as been the greatest pleasure I could have asked for. I pray we will meat again and that you will not resent us from keeping the truth from you."

"What? What are you talking about, Mom?" Sakura asked, bewildered. She saw her mother flinch when she addressed her as Mom.

Her father spoke then. "Just know that we do love you like a daughter, and taking care of you was not a mission to us. It was a blessing, and we will miss you more than you could ever know."

Both her mother and father hugged her then before releasing her and walking out the door. Sakura thought she caught a glimpse of a tear in her mother's eyes. She could feel her own tears in her eyes, spilling over. Though she was still very confused, she knew this: she'd never see her parents again.

"Sakura, please sit down. As I said, we still have much to tell you." Sarutobi asked kindly, his face sad as well. She sat back down, the silent tears still falling from her eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, you two have also preformed you missions splendidly, keeping Sakura safe and out of harm's way." The king stated.

Sakura's head snapped upward as she looked at him with terror in her eyes. Not her best friends! Her parents had just been taken from her. He couldn't take her friends as well!

"But I'm afraid your missions are not yet completed. You have one more official part of this mission, Sasuke, and Naruto, as you know, your mission is for life."

Sakura felt herself sigh in relief. At least her friends wouldn't be leaving, but what did he mean by missions? What was going on?

"Yes, You're Majesty." Naruto and Sasuke said, bowing to the king.

"Now, Sakura," Sarutobi started. "I believe it is time to tell you a story. The story of who you really are."

Sakura looked to the king completely bewildered.

"What do you mean?" she asked, still as befuddled as ever. "What's going on? What are you talking about, who I really am? And missions, and… Where are my parents? Why were they talking like… like…" Sakura's throat closed up with tears, keeping her from speaking.

Sarutobi smiled at her. "So many questions… But, let us start at the beginning, shall we? Where all stories are met to start.

"Many centuries ago, the earth was but one great nation all under the command of one king, one ruler. This king had five sons and these five sons split our world into the five original great nations. The Land of Fire, The Land of Wind, The Land of Water, The Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning. Over the centuries, these countries split into the many nations we have today, with the original five remaining the most powerful.

"Then, far in the past, something happened to upset the balance in the world. Twin brothers were born in The Land of Wind, and it was undecided which would become king when the current ruler passed away.

"The two brothers raged a great civil war, struggling over dominance. In an effort to win, the younger of the two called forth the evil sprits of the underworld to help him, but they turned on him.

"The brothers ended up banning together to try and bring down the demons. The one who originally summoned them ended up dying in an effort to help his brother in battle.

"In the end, the original demons were captured and sealed away, but not before they had polluted the world, turning humans and animals alike into demons, none as powerful as any of the originals, but just as fearsome and deadly.

"Ever since then, for hundreds of years now, humans and the demons have tried to co-existed in this world of ours, but failed. It is as if our two spices have been destined to destroy each other from the very beginning.

"The Land of Wind, of course, was blamed, and is still blamed to this day, but twenty-one years ago a prophecy was made that would redeem The Land of Wind and end the feud between humans and demons.

"A great priestess was traveling through the land when she came across the capital. It is unknown who she was or where she came from, but when she came she asked to be seen by the King and Queen, claiming she had something of great importance to tell them.

"When she was brought into their company and asked what message she brought she claimed she did not know but was only told to come with the words she had already spoken.

"The Kazekage, believing her to be a shinobi bent on destroying the king and queen, tried to have her arrested but, the kind queen refused and instead went and hugged the old woman. Upon touching her, the priestess went into a trance and proclaimed the following prophesy.

"'Those responsible for the world's unrest, the time has come to redeem thyselves! Hark! For in five years time a flower will bloom within thy whom which will cost a life to bear but will give a thousand if born. This Princess is the key to your redemption! With the strange ability of her mother's heart fed by her father's noble blood this blooming princess will posses the power to be rid of the demonpc hatred of the world and restore balance to that which was disrupted by one face and two souls! But beware! Beneath a rose's thorns lie hidden dangers. From the birth of the fire that started the blaze and the flower born of a Princess's heart, the world will once again find peace as the underworld splits forth from the sky!'"

"The woman disappeared into thin air right as her prophecy came to a close, and no one has seen her since, but her words still hold true." The king paused.

"In short, it was drawn from the prophecy that the king and queen of The Land of Wind were to have a girl within five years, one that held the power to destroy the demons and bring peace, harmony, and balance back to the world.

"Preparations for such a princess were underway immediately, and, for the first time in centuries, hope was restored to the people of the world." Sarutobi smiled slightly, but it was instantly turned into a frown as he continued.

"But somehow the demons of the world got wind of the prophecy. A human child that would one day destroy them all. It was their worst fear come to life. They rallied together and attacked the capital, Suna, causing immense damages but thankfully the queen and king were unharmed.

"That's when they realized they needed more than just shinobi to protect the city, the royal family, and the future princess. The world's top scientist began to perform experiments to create the perfect protectors, worthy of holding their own in battle with demons. Three of these shinobi were created for this purpose. Naruto, and two others, still located in Suna."

Sakura's jaw dropped and her head automatically snapped to the side to look at Naruto. He was still looking forward at the king, refusing to meet her gaze.

Sarutobi continued. "Sure enough, five years after the prophecy was made the queen of The Land of Wind gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Sadly, as the prophecy stated, the queen died in child birth, but the baby survived, healthy and perfect. But yet another tragedy came to pass. Suna was once again attacked by hordes of demons trying to destroy the child.

"The king realized the city was no longer safe for his heir. With two immense attacks in less than five years, Suna would not be able to withstand much more and the protectors that had been created were still children themselves at the ages of two and three. If he was to keep his child safe, he would have to smuggle her out of the city to a secret location.

"He chose Konoha. We were a strong nation with many capable shinobi, and the last place the demons would check, a village within their own native homeland of forests. And so the princess, still less than a year old, was brought to the city to be put in hiding while Suna built up its ninja forces and its city, awaiting the return of their savior.

"Unfortunately, another tragedy occurred in Suna. Six years ago the king died in his sleep. It was a devastating and unexpected blow to the nation. The princess was not yet scheduled to come back, and they were left without a viable heir. Thankfully, their system of government called for a back-up plan. Until the time that the princess returned, the Kazekage of their village would take over, and so fare he has been doing a wonderful job.

"But he is still not the rightful heir, and so upon the princess's sixteenth birthday, it was decided she would be returned, take the thrown, and lead the people.

"And that, my dear Sakura, is the story." The king of The Land of Fire finished, folding his hands together.

"But… But what does this have to do with me?" Sakura asked, praying the answer wouldn't be what she thought.

"It has everything to do with you." Naruto told her, turning to look at her for the first time since the king started to talk. "You are the princess of the Land of Wind, Sakura-sama."

I'm not setting a date for the next chapter release, though I can tell you the next chapter will not be out until I have a hell of a lot more reviews. They can be good, bad, or anywhere in-between, as long as they don't all come from one person, I really don't care.

So, review god damn it! -_-


	5. Chapter 4: Teammates

I feel bad for making you guys wait so long…

Too bad I didn't have more reviews. Then I might have been more motivated…

*wink**wink**nudge**nudge**hint**hint*

Chapter Four

Teammates 

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura sighed, still looking to the waterfall, listening to it roaring as it flowed on. It had been one week since she learned the truth, and she still wished it was all a dream.

In an instant, everything had changed. She wasn't just Sakura anymore. She was much more than that. Thrust into a world of high society, once again being trained in the ways of the nobles as she prepared for her journey back to Suna.

Now, she stayed in the palace, her fake parents, gone forever from her life and replaced with servants she'd rather do without. Rich lavished clothes were the new norm and fun was completely out of the question. Everything was serious…

The only upside Sakura could think of was her shinobi lessons. Her training as a medical ninja had been picked up again as the Hokage herself readied Sakura for her treacherous journey through the wilderness to Suna. She was even being giving lessons concerning endurance and more profuse chakra control so she'd be able to keep up with her escorts and not slow them down.

Weapons were off limits, which annoyed Sakura to no end. How could she be ready to face such a journey without knowledge of weapons? The king's excuse was princesses should never be taught to fight. It was 'unladylike'.

"Sakura-sama." She heard an approaching voice call. Now she was in for it. She was not supposed to leave the grounds without an escort yet she had snuck away earlier that morning, just to be alone and have some time to think.

"Sakura-sama!" The voice repeated, closer this time. She cringed, realizing who it was. For years she'd been annoyed at Naruto for adding the suffix –chan to the end of her name, making her feel childish. Now she realized it was his way of addressing her affectionately, like a brother would call to his sister. And now, she missed it. –sama. The suffix of royalty. How she loathed it.

She'd lost more than her parents and her life on the day of her sixteenth birthday. She'd lost her best friend, gaining nothing more than a protector in return.

She didn't respond or look away from the waterfall as Naruto approached her, but to her minor surprise he didn't say anything. He stood next to her for a while then sat by her side, mirroring her position. They sat in silence, listening to the falling water.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her.

Sakura's head whipped around to look at Naruto, her eyes confused and questioning.

He looked at her then, smiling sadly. "You're not happy, and I'm sorry."

Her face hardened as she frowned. "Oh, so now you're talking to me?" Naruto looked taken aback. "You haven't talked to me like I'm a normal human since before I was a Princess."

Naruto chuckled light. "You've always been a Princess Sakura-sama."

"There you go again! Sakura-_sama_!" She huffed.

"But you're my Princess. It's how I'm supposed to address you."

"You never used to,"

"It was necessary to keep your identity secret, even from you, to keep the demons from finding out where you were hidden. I couldn't address you as –sama. I was forbidden from doing so." Naruto explained.

Sakura's voice was small when she spoke. "I still wish you wouldn't."

"Hmm…" Naruto thought out loud. "I've got an idea. How about we make a deal? I'll address you as –sama or Princess as I'm instructed to in public and just plain Sakura when no one's around." He smiled at her. "That way you'll be happy and I won't be whipped for being disrespectful."

Sakura's eyes widened. "_Whipped?"_

"Well, yeah." Naruto shrugged. "I'm nothing more than your humble servant: a protector created specifically to keep you safe. Addressing you so informally would -at the very least- deserve a whipping here. In Suna it's worse though…"

She frowned at him, sadness welling up in her eyes. He grinned. "Don't worry though. I'll be fine, Sakura-chan," he added, winking to her.

Her face didn't falter. "N-Naruto?" she whispered. "What… what exactly do you mean 'created'. Sarutobi-sama said the same thing, but I don't quite… understand."

The waterfall roared loudly as the silence ensued. Naruto looked away from her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

He sighed. "No. It's not your fault. It's just… I really wish you wouldn't make me be the one to tell you."

"Then don't,"

"No, no. I… think its best you hear it from me, but… it's kind of hard to talk about. And… you won't look at me the same afterwards…"

"Naruto, tell me. Please."

Naruto sighed again, hanging his head for a moment. "Alright… where to begin?" he crossed his legs and looked up to the blue sky, mulling over the words carefully.

"Basically, it's like the old man said. They were trying to create a better shinobi. One that was stronger, faster; that could fight for days without rest, and that would feel obligated to protect you no matter what, not letting the value of their own lives come before yours.

"But most importantly, they would have to be able to protect you against demons, the worst demons. But the problem was, the only one who was a match for demons was… another demon."

Sakura's eyes widened, but she said nothing and just sat perfectly still, listening to him continuer.

"First, they took a look at the Kage's, choosing the strongest three out of the five. The Mizukage, the Kazekage, and Konoha's very own Fourth Hokage. Next, they selected three of the world's best konoichi, and, based on genetics, paired the Kage's and konoichi DNA together to create what they called super shinobi, constructed in laboratories to have the best qualities of each parent.

"The konoichi were then given the mission to carry and bear these children. During pregnancy they also injected the women with… I don't know what exactly, but they were special drugs to strengthen the babies, but also to tamper with their emotions somehow. I don't know how they did it, but it was like, they _programmed_ us to love and care for this princess as if she was our own flesh and blood before she was even born.

"Then, when each of us were ready to be born, our mothers were given a drug to induce labor, but also to slowly kill the babies as they were being born.

"Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself." Naruto paused. "You remember the two twins from the story and how, after the younger one summoned the original demons to earth they had to capture them and seal them away? Well, from the original demons summoned and sealed, three were selected to be implanted into each of the children.

"Then, back to the birth thing. Right as the human child was born, it would die, leaving a vessel-less body, at which point the demon's spirits were sealed inside. This process killed the mothers, but, as a result, produced the perfect shinobi.

"Each possessed all the desired traits of a ninja but also the immense chakara reserves and other special powers of a demon. Of course, with the body of a human holding it in check, each demon could not release the entirety of its strength, but even a small percent would be enough to take on hoards of lesser demons.

"Of the three of these 'protectors' created for you, I know little of the first one or the last. Apparently, they've been living in Suna, helping defend against the attacks there. But as for the second protector out of the three created, that would be me."

Naruto turned to Sakura then, watching her carefully as her wide eyes blinked. Her mouth hung open in shock, but other than that she gave no reaction.

After several minutes of him staring at her, she finally spoke. "You're… a demon…?"

Naruto's face was dead serious as he spoke. "I'm the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the second demon to be brought to your world. My name is Kyuubi. I was the power of the wind that spread the demonic seed across the world and carved the Kyuukaze Canyon of Suna with one sweep of my nine tales.

"I was sealed in an old ramen cook-pot and remained there for five hundred years until the day I awoke as Naruto Uzumaki, your protector.

"I traveled here with you when you were barely a year old and was assigned the mission to become a successful ninja of The Hidden Leaf, and also to become your closest friend and confidant. You are my Princess, and I must protect you at all cost and put you before everything else in this world."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura sat alone in her bedroom, with both legs crossed in the center of her new bed. The dark room closed in around her, no trace of the pink of her old home to comfort her. She was trapped, alone, and everything she had ever known was a lie.

Naruto…

After hearing his terrifying story all she could think was why? Why, just because of her, were three splendid konoichi killed, three souls of three innocent children stolen away, and three demons, trapped for centuries transferred to a new prison, one that caused them to live within the very humans they could not stand?

Why?

So many people had laid down their lives and died for her sake. Three Kage's gave for her, hundreds of lesser shinobi of both Suna and Konoha, the villages themselves. Her own parents had died, her mother sacrificing herself to bring her into the world just as the other konoichi had done.

Sakura hugged her knees. Did that mean that she was just as much a monster as the three human-demons created for her?

She pitied them, these other two protectors and Naruto. They never had a choice in any of this. First forced to come to earth and interfere with petty human problems and then sealed within their human bodies.

And even then, they were not free. Their human cages were paired with their obligations. Their mission was for life. Now Sakura understood why Naruto never perused anything. Not friends besides her, not a dream, not even the girl he had a crush on.

It was because he couldn't. His purpose was to protect her and nothing more. He couldn't have hopes and dreams and goals of his own. Never…

They had even forced him to be her friend! _Programmed_ him to love her as if she was his little sister, the most important thing in his life. Of course, Naruto assured her it was not by force.

He'd told her that he would have ended up being her friend and liking her as he did even without the programming. But how could she be sure? He'd said she had some power to make everyone she meant like her, that no one was immune to her charm, but was it true? Or was it just his human's genetic code talking?

_Knock!_

_Knock!_

"Sakura-sama?"

Her head snapped towards the door and the all too familiar voice that came from beyond it.

"Sasuke?"

The door swung open as her former teammate entered, carrying a silver tray in his hands. "You're dinner." He lifted the tray slightly, bringing it over to her bedside.

Her smile turned quickly to a frown. "You… just came to bring me my food?" Strange, considering only servants had waited on her before, not shinobi like Sasuke. In fact, this was the first time she'd seen him since her birthday.

Sasuke snorted. "It's not like I wanted to be your food bearer." He muttered. Same old Sasuke. But then his tone softened. "It was the only way I could get a minute to talk to you." He placed the tray on her bedside table and moved to sit next to her on the bed.

Sakura didn't know what to say as Sasuke looked down at the floor, his elbows on his knees and his back hunched over.

"So… how have you been?" he asked a little awkwardly.

She shrugged. "Fine. Lady Tsunade's been teaching me new medical ninja techniques. I've been doing a lot of endurance training."

He nodded. "That's good."

"How have you been?"

"Okay I guess. Practice isn't the same without you."

Sakura blinked, a bit off guard. "I… I never did anything. I just sat and watched you and Naruto spare."

"Yeah… But, always knowing you were watching made me make sure I was doing my best, so I wouldn't look like a fool in front of you."

"You're too cool to look like a fool." She smiled.

Sasuke laughed once without humor. "You'd be surprised… how much of a fool I can really be." Sakura leaned towards him, sensing and explanation.

"Naruto was created specifically to protect you." He started. "I, on the other hand, was selected by the Hokage. She figured I'd be a good asset to have around with my sharingan, and also my… _personality_. I've always been good at keeping myself distant."

"I've noticed," Sakura sighed.

"So… with that the Hokage thought I'd be perfect. Even though you had a crush on me, she figured everything would go alone smoothly." Sakura blushed at the mention of a crush. "But… I would suppose you are not the only one who would think it impossible for me to be foolish. The Hokage thought it impossible too, but apparently it wasn't."

"Sasuke, what are you talking about?"

He sighed, turning to her. "I was instructed to be your temporary protector and help Naruto look after you. I was to be your teammate, your acquaintance, and a support beam for the mission, nothing more. But… I've always wanted to be... more."

Sakura's eyes went wide, but he went on, talking in a slightly rushed voice.

"I have no idea what it was. I've never felt the need to be close to anyone, ever, but after I meant you and started spending time with you in our squad I… wanted to be your friend.

"But you're a Princess and I'm your protector. I have to stick to the guidelines of my mission. Even when I wanted to be your friend I knew I couldn't because the closer I got to you…"

He paused, searching for the right words. "It's like I told you on your birthday. Why go after something you can't have?"

Sakura stared at him, a little too shocked to respond. What he said… the whole conversation… it couldn't possibly be true. It was a genjutsu, or a dream, or some other hallucination. Surely, this person sitting in front of her couldn't _really_ be Sasuke. He was being too open, too… out of character.

He gave her that little smirk-ish smile of his, reaching forward to pull her head towards him. Before she could think he's placed a cold, feather-light kiss on her forehead and stood.

"I hope you enjoy your meal, Princess Sakura." He said without emotion, giving her a slight bow before turning on his heal, headed back towards the door. But just as he closed it behind him Sakura caught one more glimpse of his smile, a glimmer of what Sasuke could really be like on the inside.

So it was Sasuke's mission to be her friend to, a mission he'd tried not to fulfill so he wouldn't return her feelings, but ended up doing in the end anyway. She shook her head back and forth. It was so typical. Girl likes boy. Boy doesn't like girl. Girl finds out boy does like her, but they can't be together.

And to think, he actually _did _like her… She'd been his teammate for years, but never really seen the real him. He'd only dropped his mask on occasion, and even then Sakura couldn't see the whole truth of the situation. But now she had one more piece of the puzzle for figuring him out.

Sakura sighed as a sad thought entered her mind. She only had one week left in the village she had grown up, in the land she had called her home for so long. Then she would set off on an uncertain journey into the unknown. To the village she was born in; to the land she was destined to rule.

Something strange and unfamiliar was what lay in front of her, ready to further turn her life upside down though she doubted that was possible. And she had no choice but to face it, head on.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

The wall surrounding Suna was deserted, unguarded and unattended. The Kazekage had given the soldiers and the workers the night off because of the vigorous work they had put in over the last two weeks, preparing for the Princess's return.

And so the wall stood, alone like a silent guard against what could come from the other side, the stretch of desert wasteland that spanned forever. But the wall was not left entirely deserted to stand against the threats. One lone figure sat perched on the roof of a guard tower.

Gaara sat as still as possible, looking out with unblinking eyes upon the moonlit desert. He found if he let his vision go out of focus he could see the reflection of the half moon high in the sky on the sand. Though his body sat still, inside he was breaking out of his skin. He was anxious, so much so that it was driving him crazy.

For the past two weeks he'd worked diligently, helping the workers make repair. Well, technically he was the one doing all the repairs. The workers just stood around, trying not to get in his way. With his control over the sand that made the desert he used it to strengthen the wall, building it out another thirty feet, up another twenty, heightening the guard towers, and making more towers in between the existing ones.

So, considering all the work he had been doing lately he should have been exhausted. He shouldn't have felt like his skin was being ripped off his body. He shouldn't have had enough energy left to be anxious, but he did. He never ran out of energy, a trait he had acquired to keep him running because he couldn't sleep. Not unless he wanted to rip out of his skin, literally, taking his true demon form and killing hundreds.

Now that he thought about it, why _didn't_ he fall asleep? The effects of doing so were what he wanted, right? So why not just let his eyelids slit shut gently…

The collar around his neck seemed to gain ten pound at the thought of transforming. If he transformed with the collar on the small spikes lining the inside, far enough away not to hurt when he was human, would puncture his neck, killing him.

He moved his thoughts away from escaping from the prison he'd lived in all his life, which was inescapable from. But unfortunately that meant there was only one other thing he could think about.

One week. She'd be there in one week. The girl he was created to protect. The reason he existed in his prison that took the form of a human body and sand walls he'd helped create. He'd never even met her, this reason for his imprisonment.

His human body had been three years of age when she was born and, unlike the other protectors created, he was too dangerous to be allowed to come in contact with her. The other two had seen her. One, not the youngest, Jouhin, but the other, went with her when she left.

That one had been considered the best out of the three of them. He was almost as powerful as Gaara, but tame like Jouhin, the other protector. The perfect experiment. Well, perfect compared to him, the screw up of the family, so to speak.

He wondered what this girl would be like. Probably just like all the other royalty he knew. Useless. Cowardly. Stuck up. Someone who thought they were better than everyone else just because of their family tree.

"Anxious?"

Turning his head slightly Gaara fixed his gaze upon the figure standing on the very top of the guard tower behind him, balancing gracefully on top of the small, fist sized ball of sand that covered the highest point.

The figure was a young girl, no more than sixteen. Thin, with long, lean legs in a creamy white color, she wore a black kimono-like gown that stopped right below her knees with long flowing sleeves that covered her hands.

Her long blond hair was tied in a tight bun at the top of her head, held in place by two senbon, but it was her eyes that drew one in. They were oval shaped, distinctly so with two green orbs in the center of each. They were beautiful and hypnotizing with the long vertical shaped pupil in the middle.

She smiled widely at him, showing all of her gleaming white teeth that seemed to be exceptionally sharp.

"You're supposed to be asleep, Jouhin." Gaara said in a flat monotone.

She only smiled wider. "I couldn't sleep. I'm too anxious, like you."

"I'm not anxious." He lied, contradicting her and turning his gaze back up towards the moon.

The girl at the top of the roof smiled again, making a graceful cartwheel that brought her to stand next to the place Gaara sat. She folded her legs under herself and sat beside him, looking out at the desert as he did.

"How can you not be excited?" Jouhin asked, her hands fidgeting with her clothes.

"I'm just not." Gaara muttered, trying desperately to get back to that somewhat happy place he was in before his partner had appeared.

"I wonder what she looks like. Probably just like her mother. I hope she'll like me." She rocked back and forth, hugging her knees to her chest.

"You've seen her before."

Jouhin rolled her big, cat-like eyes. "I was less than a year old."

"Your body was less than a year old." Gaara contradicted. "You're mind was fully developed, a thousand years old with a thousand years worth of memories."

She shrugged. "Despite our intelligence and cunning, cats tend to not pay very close attention to something the first time they see it. We learn and remember from repetition."

"Lame." Gaara muttered under his breath. She shoved him in the arm, but not nearly hard enough to cause pain. "And you're weak."

"At least I don't scavenge in trashcans, Raccoon-Boy." Jouhin teased.

Gaara's eyes flared with anger. "Tanuki. Two completely different things."

"Whatever…" she sighed, lying down and stretching out over the roof, her legs still dangling off the sides.

The silence lasted all of two seconds.

"Why aren't you anxious to finally meet her?" Jouhin asked.

"Why are you?" he threw back.

"I'm supposed to be." She smiled largely. "It's in our human body's genetic programming. We're supposed to love her. I haven't even met her and I already love her. She's going to be the best friend I never knew, like a sister." Jouhin mused.

He looked at her blankly. "You're a demon, placed in a body of a human as an experiment to become this girl's protector. And that's what you are. Her protector. Not her friend. Now that she knows who she is, friendship is irrelevant."

Jouhin frowned at him. "Shows how much you know. We're going to be best friends. Just wait and see."

"Whatever." Gaara looked away from her cat eyes and back at the desert. This was exactly why he was glad they fixed the problems with his creation so Jouhin could sleep at night. Because if she didn't, he'd never get anything done. Even doing simple guard duty became a troublesome job with her around.

"Hey Gaara?" she mused.

"What?" he almost hissed back at her.

Jouhin reached up to her collar with one hand. It was designed like his, a simple black choker that hung just a little loose, except hers had a pendent hanging from the end. It was the kanji for love, set in silver and gleaming in the moonlight.

"Why don't you love her?" she whispered in a voice desperate to understand.

Gaara could almost feel the kanji tattooed to his forehead burning. It had been tattooed on him for two reasons: to identify him as one of the Princess's protectors and to remind himself of his programming, the programming that dictated he had to love the girl he was to protect like a part of his own flesh and blood: like a sister.

"I'm defective, remember?" he smirked at her. "I've got a whole slew of problems wrong with me. I'm uncontrollable, I can't sleep, more of my demonic power leaks through than what should. And I don't love her. I can't. It's just another thing that went wrong when they placed me in this blasted human body."

Jouhin gazed at him, a troubled look upon her face, like she wished desperately she could fix his flaws.

Gaara looked away from her, unable to look upon such pity. Pity for him.

"You should go to bed now, Jouhin." He whispered, still not daring to look back at her.

There was a small rustle of wind, and then he felt her aura no more. Just as quickly and gracefully as a cat, she had left his presence.

Once again the demon who loved only himself looked back towards the desert. It was barren, empty as always. Empty, like his heart.

End

You see that little button in the middle of the screen? It says review? Click it. 0_o

Not sure when the next update will be so just hang tight. I'm really busy lately.

-Tristen1497


	6. Chapter 5: Race to Suna

I'ts been SO LONG. 0_o Sorry you guys. Time just got away with me and I didn't really feel motivated to write with so few reviews. Hope you can forgive me.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Chapter 5

Race to Suna

"_Don't worry," Naruto whispered to Sakura, his red eyes locking with hers. "I'll protect you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Sakura." _

Sakura jolted awake, her breathing caught in her throat. Just a dream. Just a bad dream…

But, everything had been so real. Running through the forest, the demon's coming after her and then when they reached the first check point… She shivered. Blood. So much blood...

"Sakura-sama?" She jolted again, spinning around to face who had spoken. Kakashi looked down upon her from where he sat in a small chair.

"Kakashi-sensei…? Wha… where am I?" Looking around, Sakura saw nothing but gloomy darkness and cold stone walls.

"You passed out, remember? We carried on to the next check point while you were unconscious."

The flashes of blood appeared in front of her eyes again. "So it wasn't a dream…"

"This second checkpoint is secure and we haven't had any problems yet, but I still think we should start off for Suna as soon as you feel ready."

Sakura looked up at him, a little dazed, trying to take everything in at once.

"I'll go make the preparations for departure. Please, hurry and make yourself ready." He finished, standing from his chair and abruptly walking out. He'd implied they were safe, but still… why would he be so on-edge if that were true?

Sakura sighed, searching around the gloom for some indication of location. The space was indifferent, made of grey brick with no windows, one door, the chair and a patch of straw she realized she'd been sleeping on. Standing, she dusted the straw and dust off of her traveling outfit. Somehow a yawn escaped her mouth, making her wonder how on earth she could be tired. She must have been asleep for quite some time.

Exiting her room, Sakura found that she had entered the outside of a huge stone castle, perched off the side of a great gray cliff and towering fare above the ground below. Above her, further up the cliff, Sakura caught sight of a slab of rock jetting out from the stone face. It looked to be met as a lookout's perch, a small stone path leading up the side of the cliff to where it sat.

The misty gray around her was slowly fading as the early morning light started to peak over the far east. And that's when she caught sight of it, a small dot of blond at the top of the lookout post.

Moving carefully up the side of the cliff, Sakura finally reached the perch. Naruto sat perfectly still, looking out over the castle and the landscape beyond it. He said nothing as she sat beside him, dangling her legs off the slab of rock. Sakura followed his gaze.

There was the stone castle, gray and slightly dilapidated looking, standing like a ghost through the misty early morning. Then the cliff dropped off, plunging into a forest much different than the ones surrounding Konoha. The trees were smaller, less green, and by far less numerous, allowing you to see the patches of light brown or green grass and shrub between the trunks.

Her vision could see no further, but Sakura could tell that this was the direction the sun would be rising from. The sky surrounding the edge of her view was light blue, ready to change gold in a heartbeat as the sun rose.

"Pretty," She mused, sighing in contentment, happy for one moment of peace amongst the chaos of the last few days.

"You haven't seen anything. Come on. I'll show you." Naruto said, standing up and bringing her to her feet before Sakura could protest. The next thing she knew she was being carried in his arms bridal style.

"Hold on," he warned, running strait for the face of the cliff behind them. Sakura closed her eyes tight just as she felt her body being launched into the air along with Naruto. She felt his feet make contact with the rock a few more times, each time launching them higher into the air.

Once she finally felt them come to a halt, Sakura's eyes shot open, curious to where they now were. She gasped when she realized they were at the very top of the cliff.

The top was flat, stretching on for what seemed like forever in both directions before dropping off into oblivion. Looking to the west she could see where they had just come from, trees stretching on forever, the forest growing denser and the trees taller the farther back they extended. The land was uneven, covered with hills and mountains going on and on.

"Wow." Sakura breathed.

Naruto smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet." He turned her around, back towards the east.

She gasped, almost falling over in surprise. The castle was no more than a small dot of gray against the already gray cliff face. Then came the same scrub-like trees, but with her expanded view she saw how they stretched on, thinning out as they gave way to the desert beyond. It was a huge, flat stretch of sand, going on and on, with no end in sight. The only obstruction was a small bump Sakura expected was actually a mountain, but was just too far away to appear as such.

"You see that bump?" Naruto pointed to the very mountain Sakura had noticed standing out against the flat landscape.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Well, that's actually a huge sand dune."

"I thought it was a mountain." Sakura frowned.

"Well, that sand dune is big enough to be one. It's been standing guard over this desert for five hundred years now, growing with every shift in the wind. It was created by the great and powerful sand demon, Shukaku, as a fortress for protection from the shinobi coming to seal him. It's said when they tried to reach him at the top of his perch up there, the sand would swallow them. The warriors' bodies are still said to be there to this day."

Sakura awed at Naruto.

"Anyway, we'll be traveling just to the right of it, and then, thirty miles past it's base is Suna, your new home. We're almost there Sakura. Just one more day and you will have arrived at your kingdom."

_Her Kingdom…_

Sakura frowned, "I… don't think I'm ready for this…"

"Haha! What are you talking about? You're amazing! You're going to be a great princess."

Her grimace deepened. "And just what kind of princess is as horrible as me?"

Naruto blinked, confused. "Sakura-sama-"

"I can't do anything! I sit by and watch and pass out because I can't take seeing the people _I _killed bleeding all over the place. Instead I depend on you and Sasuke and Kakashi to do everything for me! So many people, Naruto. So many have already given their lives because they believe what you do, that I'll be some fantastic princess, kill all the demons, and make the world perfect again. How, though? How am I supposed to do all of these wonderful things for the world when I can't even defend myself? All the people who've died… what if it's all for nothing? What if, in the end, I fail?"

Naruto looked out over the horizon, chewing his bottom lip slightly. "I believe… everything happens for a reason. The people we meet, the things we do… eventually, it all adds up to something bigger than ourselves. We can't see what the overall plan is, and have no control over it. All we can do is play our part and everything will work out in the end."

He gripped her shoulder lightly, looking deeply into her eyes. "Sakura, you can't worry about the 'what if's'. Everything's going to be alright. It always is. Everything always works out."

Sakura swallowed the tears that had been welling up in her throat and hugged Naruto as tightly as she could, clinging to her support system. Where would she be without him?

"Naruto! Sakura-sama!"

The two looked down off their perch to the dwindling palace and the guard tower below them. Sasuke stood at the tower's peak, hollering up at then. "Princess! It's time to go!" He called upward.

Naruto smiled, turning to her. "Ready to return to your home?"

She took a deep breath. Unsure, scared, and still overwhelmed, she answered "Yes."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Utsute couldn't stop from shaking as he stood on the wall guarding Suna. The spear he held in his hand shook along with him, clanking against the ground over. He felt like throwing up. Another guard gave him a questionable glance as he passed, going on with his patrol of the wall.

Utsute swallowed hard, his stomach making another back flip. The sun had disappeared long ago, giving way to the stars and the full moon overhead, lighting the desert with a dim gray glow. But tonight was unlike any other, different from all the nights that had come before it and all those that would come after. This was the night the princess would be returning after being in hiding for much of her sixteen years.

The preparations had all been planned and carried out. The guard was posted, all the shinobi braced for the worst. The Kazekage was even there, seated in the main guard tower with ten onbu black ops protecting him. Everyone was ready, haven trained for this night for most of their lives. But something was still wrong.

The Princess's traveling party was supposed to send a message by carrier pigeon when they reached the first checkpoint, but none had arrived. Rumors had been flying around the shinobi ranks. They had died. They were running late. Some rumors were more graphic and horrid that others but all came down to a common point. They were late.

And they weren't supposed to be.

Utsute was also nervous for other reasons. Jouhin, one of the demons created to be the Princess's protectors, was in charge of scouting the nearby area for demonic activity. Usually she always came across a few clans, snuck away, and reported, but lately she had seen no demons in the area.

Most people believed this to be a good thing, but Utsute knew better. He's main job over the years was to be in charge of Jouhin and the other protector, Gaara; to make sure their collars were secure and to release and place them in their chambers and their jail cells when they transgressed.

For this reason, he knew them better than most, Jouhin in particular, since she was much friendlier than Gaara. And he knew she thought something was up. She believed that the demons were moving out of the area to converge somewhere else, somewhere they could easily attack the Princess and her traveling party. Utsute's stomach did another back flip. Oh how he hoped Jouhin was wrong.

Another thing ate away at him as he scanned the still desert. The shinobi forces, there in case demons did in fact try to attack, were not at full strength. They were missing their most powerful and most essential warrior; Gaara.

When the carrier pigeon hadn't arrived he'd become restless, antsy, far too anxious for problems not to be created. A young shinobi guard had insulted him, calling him demon scum and claiming him to be nothing more than an enslaved dog. Needless to say, Gaara hadn't taken it too well. The young man was dispatched in a matter of seconds and the Kazekage had ordered Gaara confined to his cell for ten days.

Now, without their greatest asset to help them, if something did happen, they were outmatched. But Utsute could do nothing, nothing but hope the worst didn't come to pass. He was too wishful.

"I see something!"

Utsute's head snapped in the direction of the voice. A young lookout in the guard tower he was closest to was the one who had called out. He was running for the tower in less than a second, prying the wood door open and flying up the stairs. Utsute pushed up the trap door in the tower's floor, allowing him up onto the deck where the lookout was.

"Let me see." He commanded, grabbing the binoculars out of the lookout's hands and skimming the west.

The desert was just as flat and still as it always was, the sand gleaming in the night. But then he saw it, a small dust cloud slowly coming towards them. It didn't look like much, but one thing you learned about living in the desert was that nothing could turn out to be something really quickly.

Everyone watched the dust cloud, holding their breath as they waited for it to move closer so that it could be made out.

"Maybe it's a sand storm," the young lookout mused.

"No," Utsute grumbled, annoyed with how naïve the man was. "It's too small to be a storm."

"Maybe it's a small storm." The young man suggests.

"Even then it's not moving in the proper manner. This one moves to dodge the sand dunes, not in a straight path like a storm would." Utsute focused in the binoculars again, hopping the cloud had moved close enough to see. It had.

Out of the dust he saw them, demons. Hundreds of demons. They were hideous, so much more so than Utsute had been led to believe from stories of people who had seen them first hand. And they were headed straight for Suna.

Worse was what Utsute spotted at the front of the pack. Four humans were also amongst the demons, right ahead of them, trying not to get caught by the beasts. And one of them was a young girl whose pink hair he could make out even from the distance. He could see that hair that so closely resembled the hair of Suna's last queen.

"Demons!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Their casing the Princess! She's at the front of that pack!"

The wall filled with soldiers was in a flurry in seconds, weapons being handed out, positions being taken and more supplies from inside the caverns in the wall being brought up through the trap doors.

As orders were shouted and commands given Utsute felt his heart start racing. There were more than they had anticipated. There was no way they could make it out of a battle of this scale, not unless they had their secret weapon. But they didn't. He was locked up, away in his cell, under Suna's palace, on the other side of the city.

"Utsute."

He turned around sharply upon hearing his name uttered by a calm, sweet, and mellow voice. And there was Jouhin, dressed in her black, kimono-like battle clothes, her long blond hair in a pony-tail, allowed to hang down past her shoulders. Her face was tranquil despite the chaos going on around her, her great, green, cat eyes boring down into his soul.

"We need Gaara. Without him the casualties will be staggering." She said with a level voice.

He looked at her with bewilderment. Disobeying the Kazekage's direct order? If he did, what would become of him…?

"If you don't many of your fellow shinobi will die here today, and quite possibly they will take the Princess with them." He looked up at Jouhin with terrified eyes. "She could die, Utsute."

He didn't know what to do. His brain seemed to not want to work anymore.

Suddenly Jouhin's soft expression changed, turning fierce and malevolent. "If you cost my Princess her life I shall have yours!" She hissed at him, shocking Utsute in place. "Go!"

He jumped at her command, turning to open the trap door, leading back down to the main level of the wall. From there he snuck into the walls interior. People were rushing everywhere, grabbing weapons and cannons, bringing them up to the main level. It was easy for Utsute to sneak into one of the tunnels leading back through the city's underground without being noticed.

The dark tunnel was deserted, allowing him to run as quickly as his legs would carry him, back towards the palace. He just hopped he'd make it in time...

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Faster!" Naruto pleaded with her, pulling her along. It was no use. Sakura could run no faster.

Naruto knew carrying her on his back would make no difference. He had reached his top speed as well. The same could be said for Sasuke and Kakashi. None of them could go faster, though the demons at their heals seemed to have no problem keeping up.

Right as they had reached the giant sand dune marking the way to Suna they had appeared, coming out from behind the dune to attack. At first they had stood and fought, allowing Sakura and Sasuke to run ahead, but it didn't work. There were too many demons and they just by-passed Naruto and Kakashi, coming after their original target.

"Keep running Sakura!" Naruto gasped, feeling her slowing down.

"I can't!" Sakura cried. Her sides felt as if they were tearing her apart. Her lungs burned for the air they were not receiving and her body was not going to obey her command to run for much longer.

"Look! Sakura, look! Suna! We're going to make it! Just a little further!"

Sakura looked away from her feet and up to see if Naruto's words were true. They were. She could see the walls rising up out of the sand. They were close. Very close. A mile away at most. She could even start to make out the shinobi on the wall, running frantically from one guard tower to the next.

_Bang! _

A cannonball launched from the wall, slamming into the hoard of demons behind them. The monsters screamed in agony, some dying and falling to lie still in the sand, but most kept coming. The attack had little effect.

Another cannonball was released with another great bang. Sakura ducked, tripping and loosing her footing, sliding into the sand. She was down for less than a second before Sasuke had pulled her back to her feet and kept yanking her forward, running faster still.

"Aaa! My ankle!" she cried, lifting it off the ground. Though she hadn't heard the snap over all the other noise, Sakura knew it was broken. Sasuke pulled her into his arms, running along while carrying her. It didn't work well. He couldn't carry her after running for so long and still keep up his pace.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled. "Last resort!"

Sakura looked to Naruto, running beside her and Sasuke. She knew nothing about a plan for a last resort.

Naruto's eyes closed, his hands clenching into fists. When his eyes reopened they were fierce, filled with anger, and, they were red, the eyes of the fox demon he truly was. Sakura couldn't describe what happened next. All she knew was that Naruto's body somehow exploded, and then he wasn't there.

In his place was a giant red fox, the size of a horse. Sakura gasped in surprise. She'd known that Naruto was a demon trapped inside of a human body, but she had no idea that he could take on his demon form when he wished.

Sasuke threw her across Naruto's back in one swift movement. Her hands grabbed fists full of the fox's red hair. Her thighs squeezed his sides, trying to keep herself in place on his back.

She heard a great rumbling building in Naruto's chest as he bolted forward easily traveling twice as fast as he was when he was in his human form. She held on tighter as he charged straight for the wall guarding Suna.

END

K, so yeah... kinda a filler-thing. Didn't really know how to get from Konoha to here so sorry if it's a bit dull. The next three chapter to come will pick up the pace a bit and introduce the sexual tension for those of you out there interested in that.

REVIEW! Or I shall make you wait an obseen amount of time again! 0_o

Next up-date (IF I'm satisfide with the responce for this chapter) will be on Halloween (the 31st) probably in the morning ish (EST)

Now press that button and make me happy...


	7. Chapter 6: 6 Battle on the Wall of Suna

I feel like such a bad person... I've been so caught up with life and my other works I haven't even given fanfiction a glance this past year, but a promise is a promise and I will finish this story, no matter how badly I want to torch it, since at the moment I don't believe it should ever see the light of day. I'm also thinking of taking this concept and turning into an actual book with my own characters and setting with a modified plot line. I'm not sure yet... let me know what you guys think. If there's anyone left to read this who hasn't given up on me after my long absence.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Chapter 6

Battle on the Wall of Suna

Gaara paced back and forth in his small stone cell buried within the palace's basement. Something was wrong; he knew it. He could feel it in his veins. Something was happening and he didn't know what, and, even if he did know, he couldn't do anything about it. He punched the stone, causing one of the bricks to crack.

"Damn it! Let me out!" Only the echoes of his rage answered him.

He couldn't take it! Being locked up, uninformed was killing him. The city was in danger. The Princess was in danger. This he knew was true, yet still he was trapped, unable to help. Unable to save her.

He heard the footsteps as soon as they started down the long, spiral staircase that led to his dungeon. Gaara held his breath, looking at the door with hard, unblinking eyes. Waiting.

It swung open seconds later, revealing Utsute, leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. His long brown hair held back in a ponytail dripped with sweat. His pale face glistened with more droplets. His black eyes were wide with fright.

"What is it? What's going on?" he commanded, walking towards the man who held the key to his cell.

Utsute took in a few more gulps of air before huffing out his answer. "Demons. Hu… Hundreds of them. Charging the city." He gasped. "Their after the Princess. Go!"

Gaara remained anchored in place.

"What are you waiting for?" panted Utsute. "Run! Quickly! To the wall! They'll be upon the city any moment now!"

"You'll be punished for letting me out of my cell." Gaara said in his usual cold, emotionless tone.

"I know! Just go!"

"Hundreds you say?"

"Yes!"

"I won't be able to help." Gaara whispered, looking down to the ground. "After this last transgression, killing that guard, the Kazekage upgraded my collar. Before it held back sixty percent of my power. Now it holds back eighty percent. What I have at my disposal is still a lot, but not enough for me to defeat so many demons."

Utsute looked like a man who had just been told he was dying.

"But… You're Shuukaku the Sand Demon! You're the most powerful demon in the world!"

"Great power is nothing when restrained." Gaara crossed his arms over his chest, watching Utsute's expression as it changed slowly.

"Then the collar will have to be removed."

Gaara's eyes widened.

He had two collars; first, a brown one that held back all of his demonic power. Wearing it made him so weak he couldn't stand let alone fight back, but it was only used when his main collar, the black one he wore, was having its power outage adjusted. One was never taken off until the other was secure.

He'd never been without one…

"You can't break it off." Gaara said. He knew it was impossible to do so. He'd tried. Both collars could only be removed and interchanged with the Kazekage's command, and it was he whom always had position of both keys unless Utsute was interchanging the collars.

Utsute fished through his pocket, pulling out the small black key. He spoke to answer his question before Gaara had asked it. "Remember? Earlier today I interchanged your collars? So the Kazekage could adjust your power output level? Well, I hadn't gotten the chance to return the keys to the Kazekage yet."

Gaara looked at him in disbelief. "Are you seriously going to let me, the one you said yourself is the most powerful demon in the world loose in Suna? _Without_ a collar on?"

"If you promise to save the Princess, then yes." Utsute wheezed, still trying to catch his breath. Gaara didn't even have to think twice. He was being offered freedom, and so he stepped forward, accepting Utsute's proposal.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura closed her eyes as Naruto took a giant leap, propelling himself into the air, up over the top of the wall. He landed smoothly in-between two guard towers.

The shinobi gasped and screamed, scattering away from him. Sakura looking up, opening her eyes, shocked that they had made it. Then came Kakashi and Sasuke, climbing up over the side of the wall. They stood once they were all the way up, coming to stand by her and Naruto.

"What is this? Demon! Shoot it!" A shinobi in lavished uniform shouted, pointing to Naruto.

"No!" Kakashi called out. "We are the Princess's traveling party! The fox is her protector!" he tried to explain.

The shinobi, the commander of all the forces, looked at him confused and shocked.

"You'd let a protector go around without a restraint collar?" he asked.

"No offence Commander, but I think we've got bigger problems on our hands." Sasuke said, cocking his towards the desert, where the demons were approaching. Some of them were already starting to scale the walls.

The commander nodded. "Men! Battle positions! Load and fire the cannons! Do not let them get passed the wall!"

"You'll lose all your men! They can't take on all the demons! They won't stand a chance!" Sasuke protested.

"We have no other choice." The commander answered, his face grave.

Sakura sat stunned, unable to move. She didn't even blink until she realized Naruto had knelt down to the ground, allowing her to get off his back. Sasuke helped her disembark, mindful of her broken ankle.

"Naruto will help you." Kakashi told the commander. When the shinobi looked at him questionably as if to say 'Who is Naruto?' Kakashi motioned to the giant fox.

"We shall also join you in battle." Sasuke said.

Naruto turned towards him, baring his teeth and growling. Though he was still an animal, unable to speak his words were made clear. He didn't want Sasuke and Kakashi to fight. He wanted to keep them and Sakura safe.

Kakashi nodded, keeping a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to show he would not let him go against Naruto's wishes. "We'll stay with Sakura-sama." He confirmed. Sasuke looked pissed, unwilling to obey Kakashi's words, but one look at Naruto's begging eyes and he shut his mouth.

Sakura understood what was going on and could already feel the tears forming in her eyes. She limped forward a step, and Naruto turned his head to face her head on. Looking into the face of the fox demon she could only see her teammate shining through.

She hugged his huge muzzle, rubbing her forehead against his. She heard Naruto's chest rumble in contentment.

"You better come back to me." She whispered to him, looking into his big red eyes.

"Commander!"

Everyone turned to find the voice that had spoken. Sakura, the commander, and the others turned to the tower behind them. The shinobi were fighting below the wall, crying out as they lost their lives trying to hold back the demons. The cannons were still firing, trying to knock off the demons climbing up the walls. Yet still, amongst everything, she stood out, standing on the small ball of sand positioned at the top of each peaking guard tower.

She was beautiful. That was the first thing Sakura noticed. The next thing she saw was that the woman's eyes were… wrong. Though beautiful, they didn't look like human eyes. They were too oval in shape, too big and too bright.

"Call off your men!" she said, a large smile on her red lips.

"What?" the commander smoldered. "What are you talking about Jouhin?"

"Call off your men, Commander."

Everyone who had heard the voice speak turned to find its user. He stood at the top of the guard tower opposite the one Jouhin was perched upon.

Sakura, as well as everyone else, stared at him in wonder. He wore black pants and a black netting shirt with a white sash tied around him. His hair was red, blood red, hanging in his face. And his eyes. Though he was fifty feet away at least Sakura could see that they were bright jade rimmed with black.

He walked to the edge of the roof with an ease and coolness that not even Sasuke had mastered. Then, he jumped down, landing neatly with his head bent down.

"Commander?" he whispered.

"Y-Yes?" the man in lavished armor stuttered. Sakura wondered why he, the commander, was scared. Her answer came with the man's answer.

"Call them off." The red-headed man hissed, lifting his head up so that his eyes could be seen. Gone was the jade color, replaced by glowing gold eyes that burned with an evil Sakura had never experienced before.

"Full back!" the commander shouted.

Sakura's mind was in a flurry. Shouts of "Gaara! It's Gaara! Get out of the way!" rang out everywhere. Shinobi crawled back over the wall, moving as fast as they could to clear the area.

The man with red hair moved to the side of the wall, looking down at the swarm of demon, sneering at them.

"Everyone to the back of the wall!" Jouhin commanded. Everyone shifted to the far end's rim, overlooking the inside of the city rather than the desert and demons. Sakura limped there, using Naruto's fur covered shoulder as a support. He guided her safely over with a little help from Sasuke and Kakashi.

Gaara stood in the middle of the wall, directly in between the two guard towers, overlooking the desert. The screams of the demons below could be heard, but Gaara did nothing. Even as they started to reach the top, he didn't move.

"Do something!" the commander finally shouted at him as the first demons' heads came into view, peeking up over the wall.

Gaara's motions were swift and precise. He turned to the side punching one of his fisted hands forward towards the demons.

Ear-shattering screams of pain erupted from the monsters. Sakura saw the mouths of those that had started climbing over the wall open wide, their eyes filled with pain and horror. What had this man done to them in one movement?

Gaara moved again, facing the demons head on again and pushing both of his hands forward. The wall shook slightly and they went flying off it, propelled at least twenty feet back. They all fell to the sand with low thuds.

All the shinobi moved forward to see what had become of the demons. Sakura moved forward as well, along with Naruto and her teammates. What she saw shocked her. All the demons were lying in the sand, covered in their own blood, some moving but most lying still. Huge bloody spikes of sand were protruding out of the wall. Shinobi that hadn't make it up the wall lay dead among the demons.

Sakura's eyes turned to the young man, Gaara they had called him, standing as they were, looking out over what he had done. When she saw the menacing smile he had on his face, she was scared stiff. Who was this man?

He hopped onto the ledge of the wall and then jumped off. As he descended the spikes retreated back into the wall so they would not hit him, and Gaara landed on the desert floor without a sound.

He raised both of his hands into the air slowly, and Sakura held her breath, eager to see what would happen next. The sand of the desert floor rumbled, moving at his command. It moved like a wave, covering the bodies of the dead and dying demons as well as those that were just arriving, charging forward to see what had happened to their comrades. Some screamed as they were buried alive. Others did nothing.

Once the sand hade covered them entirely Gaara changed his position again.

"Giant sand burial!" he shouted, his voice echoing around them. The sand collapsed under itself, compressing into the ground. There was ten seconds of complete silence, and then the sand surrounding the burial pit turned red, stained with the demons' blood as it soaked its way through the grains to the surface.

The shinobi cheered, Sasuke and Kakashi looked shocked. Naruto narrowed his eyes, suspiciously. The commander looked like he was going to faint. Utsute, who had just came up through one of the wall's trap doors, smiled, relieved and completely out of breath. Jouhin smiled widely, but it was Gaara's expression that caught Sakura's attention. He stood on a cloud of floating sand, his arms crossed over his chest. The cloud rose and lowered him gracefully onto the wall.

Sakura stared with wide eyes at his expression. He looked dead, like he had just done nothing of importance, not like he'd just saved the lives of countless people.

But then he looked at her. His cold jade eyes locking with her. His expression changed drastically to a look of pure hatred. Sakura's eyes widened in fright and surprise as Gaara continued to glare daggers at her, his eyes flickering between jade and gold.

How? How could someone she didn't know look at her like that? Like he would like nothing more than to see her dead? Like he hated her with every fiber of her being?

"Get the wounded to the hospital." The General addressed the scrambled ninja causing chaos all over the wall. "Jouhin, search the desert. Make sure we don't have to anticipate another attack, at least not for today."

Then he turned to Gaara, oblivious to the look the demon's eyes held as they stared Sakura down with malice. "Thank you Gaara," said the commander. "You've done your country a great service by saving your Princess."

"T-Thank you." Sakura said to him, bowing slightly to the red head. Everything happened so fast Sakura didn't know what to make of it. As soon as she lifted her head she saw Gaara's eyes, once again turned yellow glaring her down, and his teeth, bared and sharp. Before she could blink he was coming at her, clawed finger tips aimed right for her heart.

Then her view was obstructed by a mass of red, standing between her and the person who had tried to hurt her. Horrible snarling erupted, making Sakura cover her ears.

Gaara stood crouched in front of the massive fox demon, watching its piercing red eyes. He growled fiercely, baring his fang like canines and displaying his claws. The fox, Naruto they had called it, displayed its fangs and claws as well, snarling just as fiercely back at him. However, Gaara wasn't about to let that stop him. The ever irritating Kyuubi was all that stood between him and killing her, the reason for his imprisonment; the reason for his suffering. He'd saved her from the hoard of demons as he'd promised Utsute, but now there was nothing stopping him from being the one to end her life.

Then there was Jouhin, standing next to the fox, her cat claws and teeth exposed. "Gaara, don't do this," she warned. "I won't let you hurt my new best friend."

"She's not your friend," Gaara barked. "She's your master and we're nothing but her slaves!"

"Gaara," the cat woman tried again. "Without the collar too much of your demonic energy has escaped. It's the demon talking Gaara; not you."

"I _am _the demon Nibi! Just as you are! A demonic slave! And that's something I don't intend on being any longer!" Gaara charged Jouhin, his anger and rage taking over.

She ducked out of the way, and, before Gaara knew it, her hands had slipped around his neck then disappeared, leaving a heavy weight strapped to him.

"That's quite enough." A calm voice spoke. The Kazekage was suddenly down from his tower, standing right behind Gaara. You could not see him smirk from behind his mask as he help up a small black box and pushed the red button on it. Gaara fell to his knees immediately, the electrical shock corcing through his body.

"It appears someone needs another lesion in discipline, _slave_." The Kazekage sneered, earning an enraged howl from Gaara.

"Master!" Jouhin spoke. "You said you wouldn't use the shock if I got it back on him!"

"A slave is in no position to make compromises with her master." The Kazekage said calmly. "Now get him to his feet." He pointed at Gaara, kneeling on the ground. His legs had given out due to the pain.

"I'm fine!" Gaara hissed at her, pushing Jouhin aside and staggering to his feet on his own.

Sakura's eyes were wide with fright and confusion. What on earth was going on? From what she could gather these were supposed to be her protectors. They were like Naruto. But if that was true why was one trying to kill her? And why were they being called slaves?

"My apologies, my Princess." The Kazekage spoke to her, giving her a bow. He straightened out his hat as he stood back up, readjusting his robes as well. "I assure you it won't happen again, and the man responsible for removing his collar will be severely punished."

The Kazekage's eyes then landed on the giant fox by her side. "Aw, I see your primary servant's collar broke off, probably when he was transforming. We'll fit him with a new one immediately, one with the mechanism to prevent him from taking demon form again."

Sakura watched horrified as the robed man motioned a servant forward carrying a black ring in his hands, a ring that looked exactly like the one that had shocked the man with red hair. Her eyes widened further when she realized the servant was heading straight for Naruto. Her friend backed up, whining in his throat.

"No!" she proclaimed, stepping in front of a frightened Naruto.

"Princess?" The Kazekage asked in a questionable tone.

"Naruto is my friend. He doesn't need one of those… those _things_ on!" Sakura said, terrified the same fate that befell the red head would soon be upon Naruto. The Kazekage looked at her, shock in his eyes.

"Perhaps I can explain," Kakashi stepped forward, giving the Kazekage a small bow. "I am Kakashi Hatake of Konoha. I am one of the people put in charge of guarding and protecting the Princess. I realize here in Suna you have different methods with dealing with the Princess's protectors, but I can assure you that there is no need to restrain Naruto with a collar. We have never seen such an act as necessary for controlling him, and he has never given us any reason to believe otherwise. He is Princess Sakura's friend, and she wishes him to be treated as such."

Gaara's eyes widened, scanning the huge fox thoroughly. He was like him, an experiment created for the soul purpose of protecting the Princess. He was nothing more than a slave, just as he was. Yet… Yet neither the fox nor the Princess saw him as such. But for him to truly be her _friend? _Gaara couldn't comprehend it. Slave and master couldn't be friends. That's just the way it was. And yet… This Naruto had never been restrained, never worn a collar. Gaara touched his own collar, its weight weighing heavily on his throat. He'd never been without it except for today.

His eyes zeroed in on the fox as he cuddled against the Princess's side, showing his gratitude for her defense. And even if the Princess considered the fox to be her friend, why didn't he resent her anyway? Did he not know serving his purpose took away his ability to be free? He snorted inwardly. Kyuubi had always been a forgiving beast.

"My apologies," The Kazekage said in a tone that suggested he was disgusted with the idea of a slave without a restraint. "I didn't realize the Princess was so found of her… _pet._" Naruto growled at the comment. Sakura and Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but neither said anything.

"Master?" All eyes turned to Jouhin, kneeling on the floor in front of the Kazekage.

"What is it Jouhin?" he asked.

"I've just finished scanning the surrounding desert," she started. Sakura's eyes widened. She hadn't even realized the cat woman had left. "The area is clear. There is not sign of demons nearby, but I think it would be best if we got the Princess to a secure place as soon as possible."

"Very well," Sighed the Kazekage. "Shizuka!" A relatively young looking shinobi stepped forward, looking somewhat confused. The Kazekage walked over to the other side of the bridge, approaching a scared looking Utsute. The robed man yanked the chain around Utsute's throat, breaking the thread. He walked back over to Shizuka, placing the severed chain with a ring of keys on the end in the young boy's hand.

"You have been promoted. You are now chief overseer of the Jinshuriki containers. Escort them, the Princess, and her other guards back to the palace. Then, make sure Gaara receives his punishment for attacking the Princess.

"Ye- yes, My Lord." Shizuka replied, a little stunned. He looked down at the keys placed in his hands as if they weren't really there. Like they weren't real.

The Kazekage then turned to Naruto. He grinned devilishly from behind his mask. "I'm afraid the tunnels leading back to the palace are too narrow for a horse-sized fox to fit through. You'll have to revert back to your human form."

Naruto looked from the Kazekage to Sakura, then to Gaara, glaring him down with his blood-red eyes. He wasn't going to change back. There was no way in hell. What if he did and then the crazy man they called Gaara took a shot at Sakura? He would expect nothing less from the hot-headed Shuukaku. Even with Kakashi, Sasuke, the lady named Jouhin, and the man they called Shizuka guarding her, he doubted they'd be able to sufficiently protect her. Naruto would take no chances.

Sakura gasped along with many of the other people present as red chakra surrounded Naruto. Gaara narrowed his eyes at him as Naruto's fox form began to shrink, down from the size of a good sized horse to where he was no bigger than a very large dog.

The Kazekage glared at him. "Well, I see you've found a way around your size. So be it." He turned his head away from the fox, determined not to let the animal get to him. Gaara glared at him as well. With so many people around as well as two demons besides him there was no way he'd be about to try and kill the Princess again, at least not that night. But of course tomorrow was always another day.

END

Next update: January 1st, 2012

Please leave me your comments, suggestions as for what to do next, and constructive criticism in a review.


	8. Chapter 7: Bellow the City of Sand

Happy New Year. Enjoy.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Chapter 7

Bellow the City of Sand

Gaara crossed his arms over his chest, utterly bored out of his mind. They were arranged in a certain order as they made their way down the dark sand-tunnels. Shizuka was in the front, holding up a torch to light their way, followed by him and Jouhin, walking side by side.

In back of them was one of the Princess's ninja. From what Gaara could tell he was the quiet type, but when the situation presented itself he was a fierce warrior and a formidable appoint. It was just kind of irritating that he was reading a perverted romance novel as they made their way.

Then it was the Princess and her other two escorts making up the rear. The fox was on one side and the shinobi with raven-black hair on her other side, helping to support her though a medical ninja had already healed her broken ankle back on the wall. They were just being stupid and overprotective in his opinion.

"Sakura-Sama!" Sasuke pleaded as she almost stumbled. "Please, allow me to carry you the rest of the way."

"I'm fine Sasuke. I just tripped. It's no big deal."

Gaara's eyes flickered from the pathway in front of him to Jouhin as she twirled around on her heal.

"Please Princess Sakura! Let me assist you!" she smiled wide. Gaara glanced back as Jouhin skipped past him. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of pink, the very sight of it making his temper rise and his hands clench into fists.

"N-No thank you." Sakura said, a little intimidated by the cat-girl's forwardness.

"But Sakura-Sama-"

"Sakura-Sama will be fine. Jouhin, was it?" Kakashi interrupted.

"Yes." She replied, flattered that the handsome shinobi knew her name.

Gaara rolled his eyes, turning away.

"Hurry up and get us out of here before I end up killing someone." He threatened Shizuka.

Shizuka's face was buried in a map. "R-Right away. Just… just as soon as I figure out which way…"

Gaara flared. "Are you saying you don't know the way you bastard?" he barked.

"Gaara! Watch your language! You're in the presence of ladies!" Jouhin hissed. He ignored her, glaring down Shizuka instead.

Shizuka lowered his gaze to his feet, unable to meet the demon's fierce eyes.

Gaara glared at him. "How the hell did you become our chief overseer when you can't even navigate the tunnels? You're nothing but a child!" Shizuka's face turned red.

"Gaara, give the man a break. It's not his fault. Maybe if you were nice and stopped killing all the guards, more people would have signed up for our division, and the Kazekage would have had more choices. Instead, Shizuka was all that was available." Jouhin tried to explain.

"Whatever," Gaara barked, "Just get out of my way." He pushed past Shizuka and to the front of the line, placing his hand on the side of the sand wall. Sakura watched intently as Gaara ran his finger tips over the surface lightly. "Follow me," he said, walking forward into the dark tunnel. Shizuka followed close behind him, holding the torch high with Sakura and the other's trailing behind.

They said nothing as the journey down the dry, dark tunnels continued. "Why couldn't they have made these tunnels wider?" Sasuke complained. "It's so cramped it here."

Gaara stopped walking his hands clenching into fists. He was about to blow, if it wasn't for Jouhin's hand coming down on his shoulder.

"Forgive me," she smiled back at Sasuke, "I do not wish to insult any of Princess Sakura's… 'friends' but I don't think you realize how hard these tunnels were to construct in the first place."

Gaara kept walking and the others followed. His fists didn't unclench but he made no other moves towards any of his traveling companions. The collar around his neck had taken a while to take effect, but now he could feel his energy draining. In all honesty, it was taking every bit of what he had left in him just to stand straight and keep walking.

"You see," Jouhin continued as they walked on. "These tunnels are constructed on three different levels: twenty five, fifty, and one hundred feet below ground. They all interconnect with secret passageways, storage rooms, booby traps, and a ventilation system, all without running into any pluming and supporting the city above. Not to mention most all the soil above us is sand, not earth, it's all a very delicate system. So you see, adding a few more feet to stretch would be… unrealistic."

Sasuke's face went pale and he hung his head down.

"Amazing!" Kakashi smiled. "I had no idea Suna had a technology that allowed them to do things like that! And none of this was here the last time I visited, so it all must have gone up well… within a few years! How is that even possible?"

Jouhin smiled back at the shinobi. "Normally it wouldn't be. But with Gaara, you learn anything is possible when it comes to sand."

Kakashi moved his gaze towards the front of the group. "Gaara-san? Did you really build all of this?"

Gaara didn't reply, but, as always, Jouhin was more than happy to answer for him. "Of course! Gaara's the only one that could move the sand without risking a tunnel collapse." She smiled back at Kakashi, catching Sakura's eye and flashing her a friendly smile.

Sakura didn't know how to respond. It was very apparent Suna and Konoha had different perspective on the protectors. Naruto was free while the collars Jouhin and Gaara wore weighed so heavy Sakura could feel them around her own neck. But, perhaps it was because the protectors were different, not the cities. They were more… dangerous. Well, at least the one called Gaara was. But then if Jouhin was put under the same restraints, did that mean she was just as big of a threat?

She turned her head away from Jouhin without returning the smile and her attention back to the conversation. Was it true Gaara had built the tunnels without any help at all? From what she'd seen on the wall, he had the power, but could that power be used for such a delicate task?

"What do you think you're doing you idiot?" Gaara barked, breaking Sakura's trance. The red head was yelling, not at her thankfully, but at Shizuka again.

Shizuka looked down to the map. "The palace is this way." He pointed.

Jouhin interrupted. "That way leads to right outside the palace's entrance."

"Isn't that the point?" he asked.

"We go this way." She pointed to the sand wall in front of them, very solid and obviously without a way through. "It leads straight up through the walls of the palace to the Princess's wing."

"There's no tunnel that goes there!" Shizuka insisted. "There's no way it would be authorized to build a passageway that led there! It would make the Princess's living quarters far too vulnerable!"

Jouhin smiled. "That's why it's hidden. Only Gaara can open it." She looked to the silent red head, leaning up against the wall lazily with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood up straight when Jouhin looked at him, placing his hand carefully on the sand. All was still for a moment before he stepped back, his palms outstretched towards the wall.

Sakura watched in amazement as Gaara moved his hands down slowly. A small area of the wall disintegrated before her eyes, leading to a small room beyond it. With another swift hand motion the back of the room opened up, forming a staircase, traveling up into the beyond. Her suspicions were confirmed. He _could _use his power delicately.

At the end of the staircase Gaara opened another wall, leading them straight into a wide, lavishly dressed hall way.

"Princess," Shizuka started, "Welcome to the royal chambers. This section of the palace includes your rooms, ten guest rooms, and the rooms of your protectors. It is patrolled by a rotation guard twenty-four seven and located in the very center of the palace."

"It's late. Is it possible for us to call it a day and begin all the political things tomorrow?" Kakashi asked, much to Sakura's relief. There was nothing she wanted more than a soft bed and a hot shower.

"Of course." Shizuka moved to the fare end of the hall motioning to two plain doors. "These are your guest rooms."

"Goodnight Sakura-sama. We'll see you in the morning." Kakashi smiled from under his mask, heading into his room. Sasuke looked at her as if he would rather die then leave her alone.

Glaring at Gaara, he walked towards Sakura. "I'll be on guard if you need me for anything." He took her small hand in his and kissed it gently. "Goodnight, my Princess." Gaara felt his temper flair at the Uchiha's actions. He didn't want anyone touching his future prey.

"Don't let her out of your sight." Sasuke whispered to fox-Naruto before he opened his door and disappeared into the room beyond.

"Come with me, Princess," Shizuka bowed, leading her back towards the middle of the hall. There, centered in the middle of one side of the wall were two huge double doors with the crest of the royal family. "This is the entrance to your chambers, My Lady." The shinobi explained. "They consist of two royal bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sitting room, a library, a music room, and a spare room to be used as you wish. Oh, and of course the entry room. Then," he pointed down both sides of the hallway "To your left is the entrance to Ms. Jouhin's chambers, on the right is the entrance to… I'm sorry. What's its name?"

Sakura looked down at Naruto. "_His_ name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Very well," Shizuka replied. "Mr. Uzumaki's new chambers are located to the right. There are doors connecting your chambers to that of your protectors and they may be opened if you wish. And then of course directly across from your room," he pointed to the other wall with a large, dark red door centered across from her doors "is Gaara's camber."

Sakura filled with fright. The man who'd just tried to kill her would be sleeping across from her?

"Mr. Uzumaki, Ms. Jouhin, you two may go to your chambers. However, as you Gaara-"

"I know, I know!" Gaara barked, cutting of the young man. "I'm already headed that way." He marched past Shizuka and Sakura, shivering when his arm accidentally brushed up against hers. "Which cell will it be this time?"

"Um… The usual?" Shizuka called out after him.

"Idiot," Gaara mumbled out behind him before he disappeared down the long, dark hall. It was hard to believe that he already missed Utsute. At least he was an idiot that knew what he was talking about, not just a fool like this Shizuka was.

"Goodnight Princess." Shizuka finished, heading down the hall after Gaara and leaving her along with Naruto and Jouhin.

Sakura caught the cat-woman's eyes and she smiled widely at her. "I shall see you in the morning. Goodnight, My Lady." Without another would the young girl walked down the hall, headed in the direction of her chamber.

Sakura looked down to Naruto. "You can go now. I'll be fine." Naruto gave her an I'm-NOT-leaving-you look. She sighed. "Fine. You can stay with me tonight, but only tonight."

The young Princess gasped as she opened the door to her chambers. A large, luxurious entryway met her gaze, with a long hall leading down to other rooms. She opened each door as she went more stunned with every room she saw. First was one of her bedrooms, an absolutely huge room decorated in light wood and light blue furnishings. The closet stood ajar, big enough to be yet another bedroom and jam packed with clothes galore. The sitting room, the empty room that was to be furnished the way she wanted it, the library, the music room. Everything was over the top and breathtaking.

The very last door at the end of the hall was the one she wanted to see the most, throwing the door open so hard it bounced off the sand wall. Sakura gasped. The room was her other bedroom, her master suite, and it was by far the largest room she'd ever seen. She had a sitting area, a table to have tea at, a gigantic vanity with more make-up then Sakura thought existed, an area to be fitted for clothes, several desks, an area for games, a place just for trying on the hundreds of shoes she now owned and a closet bigger than her old house.

Why on earth did she have all the other rooms in the first place? She could live in this one room for the rest of her life! Everything was perfect, just the way she would have designed it with light pink walls, a red and pink bed, and even pink carpeting that matched her hair. Light purple and blue accented the rest of the room, making it a girl's paradise.

Her bed had a whole area to itself and was even on top of a raised portion of the floor, as if it was on a platform. It's canopy was massive and the bed itself looked like five people could sleep comfortably in it.

Sakura abandoned Naruto to head for her marble bathroom and straight into the tub that looked like a swimming pool. She soaked for an hour in rose scented bubbles before coming out, dressing in a long pink night gown and headed for her bed. She didn't make it before she noticed the doors on either side of her room. Opening the one on the right she found Naruto's chamber beyond. It wasn't as big as hers, and only had a bed and a dresser in it, but Sakura promised the huge fox they would decorate the room exactly the way he wanted. The other door, on the left probably led to Jouhin's room, so Sakura didn't bother opening it. After all, she wasn't sure about her new protectors yet.

The last thing Sakura did before turning in for the night was go to the wall opposite the entrance to her room. The whole thing was covered by pink and red curtains spanning the whole length of the room. Sakura pulled back the drapes only to be stunned. The draped covered a window, one so large that it gave her the perfect view of the entire city below her. She could see the sides of the palace and the hill the castle was perched on and every glittering light from every home in her country's capital. She could even see the wall, the barricade between civilization and the hostile desert beyond.

The sky overhead was black as pitch, reminding Sakura once again how late it really was.

"Goodnight Naruto," she said to the sleeping fox curled up at the foot of her bed as she threw the covers over her and settled in. _Now, for a good night's rest,_ she thought. Little did she know, she wouldn't be sleeping at all that night.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

_She needs to die. _Gaara thought, trudging toward his cell with the incompetent guard behind him. _Tonight. __There's no other way._

He was running on empty. The surge on energy he'd felt while free from his restraints was long gone and with every passing moment he grew weaker.

_If I can get back to my sand, I'd be just strong enough to kill her. Even if she is with that fox. Neither of them would ever see it coming… _

It happened in a split second, just as they had reached his cell. Gaara turned around abruptly and before Shizuka could react, had swiped that accursed black box out of his grasp. With one punch he was disoriented. Gaara grabbed the keys and pushed Shizuka into the open cell before the man could react. He hit the floor hard and was out cold. The door locked automatically once it was swung shut, leaving Gaara free to take the black key on the ring in his hands. He brought it up to his collar, inserted it into the lock and-

_Fume! _

Gaara opened his mouth to gasp, but no sound came out. Then he tried to lift his arm. And couldn't. He tried to close his mouth again, and couldn't. He was paralyzed. The culprit was a single senbon sticking out of his neck. He had been concentrating so hard on mustering all the energy he had left into his plan that he hadn't noticed her.

"Sorry," Jouhin whispered as she stepped from the shadows. "But I can't have you ruining things."

END

PLEASE review! They encourage me to write more! Next update without reviews: January 10th. If I get to 40 reviews, you'll have it by the 4th.


	9. Chapter 8: Bloody Sand

Chapter 8

Bloody Sand

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

_Why?_ Sakura thought, mentally punching herself in the head. It was so late it was almost morning, and still she couldn't sleep. Her body ached for rest, but her mind wouldn't let her be. Was it because she was in a new place? Was it because she was excited and nervous all at the same time? Or was it because she was now a princess and living like one? No. Sakura knew why, and it wasn't because of any of those reasons.

Every time she closed her eyes he was there. Gaara; glaring at her with blood lust and hatred. She'd see his fingernails turn into claws and his teeth become sharper. Then his eyes would turn. No longer the cool green-blue but bright yellow, piercing and terrifying.

She tried to tell herself she was being stupid. He was locked up in a cell. She was safe, and Naruto was with her. As if to confirm this the great fox snored, curling up into a tighter ball at her feet.

But still, he wouldn't leave her mind. A part of her never wanted to see him again, but the other part couldn't wait to lay eyes on him. She wanted to hide away from him, but then again she wanted to confront him and ask him why.

Why? Why did he hate her so much, though they had never met before? Why, though he was a protector like Naruto, was he so different from her friend?

Her curiosity and need for answers outweighed her fear, pushing her to leave the comfort and safety of her bed. She ventured out into the hall, leaning up against her closed door and gazing perplexed at the red one across from her. It loomed as if daring her to venture forward and turn the handle, to see what lay beyond. Perhaps the boy from her nightmares. Perhaps the answers she was seeking. Either way, she had to know.

Placing her finger tips on the handle she found it cold, just like his eyes. Sakura almost jumped as she turned the knob and it creaked, as if to warn her. Quickly, before she lost her nerve she flew open the door, letting it swing all the way back to reveal what lay ahead.

Sakura gasped. She was expecting anything but this. Gaara's room was… beautiful. It was large and, though Gaara had probably been living in it for most of his life, it was rather bare. Though it was completely dark and Sakura could not find the light switch she could see that the carpet was sandy colored, like the desert floor and the ceiling overhead was dark black-blue, mimicking the night sky. Specks of shimmering silver danced on the dark background like stars.

Along the wall to her right was nothing but a massive bookshelf filled to bursting with documents, scrolls, and other books, all as neat as a pin and well organized. Along the wall on her left were weapons, hanging like beautiful decorations, perfectly polished to gleam. But what puzzled Sakura was that there was nothing else in the room.

The entire center of the floor was bare. He didn't even have a bed. In fact, the only thing Sakura saw on the floor was a red, rectangular rug on the far end of the room, positioned in the middle of the wall it sat in front off. Sakura walked forward, towards that wall, the one opposite the door, only it wasn't a wall at all, but a massive curtain that covered the whole side of the room, just like in her bedroom. Sakura threw the dark blue curtains open gasping as they glided all the way to the corners, exposing the whole back wall of the room, which was nothing but a huge, open, window.

Unlike hers, Gaara's view faced away from the cities and the lights, out upon the high rock cliffs that guarded the back of Suna. But beyond them she could see the desert, smooth and flat like an undisturbed sea, and she could see the stars. There were no city lights to hide them on this side of the castle so she saw everyone one of them, glowing through the night. And she saw the moon, full and bright looking down at her. It flooded the dark room with light, allowing Sakura to see what else was there.

There were two doors, one for the bathroom and one for the closet, Sakura assumed. However, what really drew her gaze was a huge water fountain. The rocks jetted out of the wall, framing the small waterfall that split again and again until it hit the pool bottom.

Sakura walked to it, kneeling by the rocks that came two feet above the floor. Gazing down, it looked like an endless pool, so deep no one could reach the bottom, and it was so clear that Sakura could see her reflection in it. Slowly, carefully, she reached out to one of the small branches of the waterfall, trying to put her fingers under the flow to feel the water run over it. She was met with a shock. As soon as her fingers met the water it turned to sand. Sakura pulled back quickly, looking at the water in alarm. The small area that had revealed itself to be sand faded back into the color of clear blue, as if it really was water.

"That's Gaara's special sand."

Sakura jumped, turning around quickly to see a small figure in the open doorway. Jouhin's big green eyes glowed in the moonlight, just like those of a real cat. Sakura watched as she smiled, walking towards her while carrying two cups. She stopped when she reached Sakura, gracefully sinking to the ground.

Jouhin smiled at her again. "I made you some hot chocolate." She said, handing Sakura one of the mugs. "It helps you get to sleep when you're restless."

Sakura stared at the girl, speechless, unsure of how to react. Just being in this strange person's presence made her feel unsafe. A vision of Jouhin leaping forward to kill her played before her eyes.

The cat-girl's smile faltered slightly. "Don't worry. It's not poisoned." She tried to joke, pushing the cup towards Sakura. When Sakura flinched away, still not talking the offering, Jouhin's smile was truly wiped away.

"Are you really that afraid of me, Princess Sakura?" She asked, looking Sakura directly in the eyes. "Tell me, why will you not trust me as you do Kyuubi?"

She felt a slight tug at her heart hearing Naruto's demon name and Sakura's eyes hardened. "Naruto as been my best friend forever. He's always been there for me."

Jouhin blinked, unfazed with the Princess's hard tone. "So then, you judge Naruto based on your experiences knowing him all your life. But why, then, would you be so quick to judge me based, not on what you have learned of me over the past few hours, but what you have learned of Gaara over that time? Forgive me, my Princess, but that doesn't seem fare."

Sakura looked down to the floor, feeling her cheeks burn. This girl was right. How could she be so judgmental?

Jouhin tilted her head towards the waterfall, watching the sand trickle down. "You know, it's no ordinary sand." She smiled. "Gaara made it from only the finest minerals and grains and infused it with his chakara. It's his primary choice of weapon, and can be used for just about anything, I suppose. Attacking, defending, spying. I've never seen him go into battle without it by his side. Except for today, of course. If you thought he was impressive on the wall, I'll have you know he would have been a thousand times greater if this were at his side. While he is wielding it, there is nothing more deadly, as the blood of anyone he's ever killed, mixed into the grains, can attest to." Sakura looked down at her hand. It was if she could see the blood on the fingers that had touched the sand.

"Please," Jouhin continued, looking to Sakura. "Don't be so quick to judge me on what my partner may be like." She reached out to touch the water again, the ripples turning into the same bloody grains as before. "After all, just because something looks like water, doesn't me it is."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Brunch was probably the best thing about her days. Everything else from the meetings to the lessons on how to run her country were enough to put Sakura to sleep. After one week, it was all so tiresome that she'd rather stay in bed all day. However, her knew friend Jouhin would have none of it.

"There!" Jouhin giggled. "You're ready for brunch, My Lady." Sakura stood up to look at herself. Today it was an excessive pink and red kimono covered in flower designs. The dress had so many layers she could barely breathe, and it was so tight around her ankles she had to shuffle across the floor.

Jouhin had become, to Sakura, a true and loyal friend in the time they'd spent together. She was nothing like her confidant, Gaara, and seemed to fill a void that had opened the day she left her friends in Konoha behind. Yes, Ino was no longer there, but this girl was so much like her, minus the bossy tendencies. It was almost like she was still home when Jouhin and her were left alone to gossip.

They talked of clothes and Suna and even Jouhin's life as Nibi, the two tailed cat demon. And of course boys. Several requests had already been sent from the neighboring kingdoms, asking if the young princes' of those lands could visit her, in hopes of wooing The Land of Wind's Princess. Just the thought made Sakura sick.

"Thank you for helping me Jouhin." She said, smiling at her new friend and trying to hide her longing to rip off the new dress and her new life.

"No problem Sakura. After all, today is a big day."

Sakura looked at her, puzzled. "What's today?"

"Today is the last day Master Kakashi and Master Sasuke will be with us. They are heading back to Konoha this evening."

Sakura's face fell. "So soon? I thought we had more time. Perhaps I can get away for a while and the three of us can spend some time together. Kakashi-sensei promised to take me to this quaint little tea shop for dinner. "

"I'm afraid with the parade, that will be impossible."

"Parade?"

"Sakura-sama?" A familiar voice called from the doorway.

Her head turned to the door placed in her right wall. Naruto walked in a bit timidly. Jouhin smiled at him. "So nice to see you again Kyuubi."

"I told you, just call me Naruto." The blond corrected her for the thousandth time.

Jouhin bowed her head slightly. "Naruto then."

Sakura shuffled towards her friend. "Are you coming to brunch with us today?"

"Yeah, why not? It' not like there's anything better to do around her. I'm _so _bored."

"Well, you and Sasuke-sama _could _have accepted my invitation to train together, but you didn't." Jouhin glared.

"It's too hot. We'd fry to death." Naruto scoffed back.

Sakura sighed. The two of them hadn't been getting along so well. Maybe Naruto was jealous of her new found friendship? He denied it of course. But at least they could tolerate each other. She'd take a friendly rivalry over pure hatred any day.

"Are you sure that's not just an excuses not to get your butt whooped by me, Kyuubi?"

Naruto's face burned. "Not at all! And the name's Naruto, _Nibi_."

"Why do you insist on teasing me so? Can we not just get along? Being the Princess's protectors, we should be friends, don't you think?"

"Meh,"

"I can live with that," she smiled, skipping over to Naruto. She was wearing a dark purple gown that resembled a kimono only the bottom half was a very short skirt and the sleeves were so long they covered her hands. Naruto caught sight of the black rose print on it only when she drew closer.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jouhin smiled at him. "Let's eat!"

Sakura laughed lightly at her enthusiasm, proceeding to take Naruto's arm and head down to brunch.

The dining hall was just as big as every other room in the palace with a truly massive dinning table that could seat one-hundred. The council members were already present, along with Kakashi and Sasuke as Sakura entered the room. She smiled to her friends, delighted when they returned her grin.

"My Princess," The Kazekage welcomed as she entered. He bowed to her, taking her hand to lightly kiss it as he did every time they shared a meal together. Sakura had also noticed a trend that the Kazekage always wore his robes, hat, and mask at all times. He even wore the mask when eating!

He led her to the head of the table where her chair and his were. He pulled her seat out for her and helped her sit down before taking his seat on her right. Everyone else fell into place after them.

Naruto sat at the seat closest to Sakura on her left. Jouhin sat at the seat closest to the Kazekage on the right. Sasuke and Kakashi sat by Naruto and the rest of the council members took residence wherever a chair was open, except for the one next to Jouhin. That one always remained empty.

"Shall we begin?" the Kazekage asked Sakura politely.

"Yes, we shall." And so the meal began, being carried in by food bearers in silver trays.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura started "Is it true you and Sasuke must leave at the end of today?"

"I'm afraid so, My Lady. Lady Hokage has demanded our presence for a mission, but do not worry. Naruto will be staying with you and I assure you, we will be back for a visit shortly, probably within the month."

Sakura was still not happy about them leaving, but knowing they would be back soon lifted her spirits. "Very well, but we must spend some time together when you return."

"Of course Sakura-sama." Sasuke replied, giving her that little smirk of his. It made Sakura smile, as if he was telling her not everything had changed. How could any of the princes compare?

Just then the main entry door into the dinning hall opened and the whole table went deathly quiet.

Gaara watched the terror grow in everyone's eyes as he walked through the doors. You'd think after dinning with him for years they'd all be used to it by now. Then he saw her, sitting there looking petrified just like everyone else, her green eyes wide and scared. He felt the hatred start building up inside of him. How he wanted to kill her, to crush the life out of her slowly and painfully.

"Gaara!" Jouhin called out happily. She rose out of her seat and ran/twirled toward him. "I missed you!" She hugged him and Gaara flinched, pushing her away from him as quickly as possibly. "Come sit with me!" she started dragging him over to the empty seat next to her.

Sakura couldn't breathe. There he was, the main topic of her thoughts, worries and conversations with Jouhin for the last week. She was scared to death of him, yet at the same time she wanted to try and be his friend. No one had ever hated her, and she wanted that to change.

"You have guard duty tonight." The Kazekage said in his cold tone, taking a sip from his glass while avoiding Gaara's gaze entirely.

Gaara did the same, not looking at the Kazekage and instead glaring at the empty plate in front of him. "Fine." He hissed.

"Oh, and last week's attack seems to have weaken the wall. I want you to strengthen it." The robed man went on.

"You'll have to readjust my collar." Gaara said, still looking away from the man he hated so much.

"No. Make do with the energy output given to you." The Kazekage decided. "Shizuka will be your escort to the wall this evening."

"What about Utsute?" Gaara asked, looking at the Kazekage for the first time since he sat down, though it was more like a glare.

"Utsute will no longer be your caretaker. He's scheduled for execution tomorrow." The Kazekage sipped his drink.

"What?"

Sakura looked at Gaara and Jouhin with wide eyes. They were both on their feet. Jouhin looked sad beyond words and Gaara looked… well… pissed.

"But Master! Utsute has been with us since before I was born! You can't to that to him!" Jouhin pleaded.

"If it wasn't for that man, your precious Princess would be dead right now, and so would your village!" Gaara barked.

"Jouhin! Watch your tongue!" The Kazekage snapped. The cat girl sat down automatically, hanging her head in shame. The Kazekage then stood up, glaring Gaara down. "I suppose it would be useless to tell you to hold your tongue seeing as you never have before."

"You can't execute him." Gaara hissed, visibly trying to restrain himself from ripping out the robed man's throat.

"Gaara has a point." Kakashi spoke up. "If Utsute hadn't disobeyed your orders and let Gaara loose we all would have died on that wall last week."

"This does not concern you." The Kazekage snapped at Kakashi. The Jounin was taken aback. "Utsute will be executed for disobeying orders and that is final."

Sakura felt a shiver run up her spine as a horrid growl erupted from Gaara's throat. She saw his fingernails grow slightly into claws, the tips imbedding themselves into the wood of the table.

The Kazekage smirked. "And one more thing Gaara, tomorrow _you _will be Utsute's executioner."

Gaara's hand's clenched into fists. "Bastard."

Sakura swallowed hard. Jouhin was sitting in her seat with her head down, tears dripping from the tip of her nose. The Kazekage was smirking at Gaara, and Gaara looked like he was about to rip the smirking man to pieces. Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto were all on edge, ready to jump forward and hold Gaara back from killing the Kage, or help him kill him. Sakura couldn't tell which. Something had to be done, or someone was going to get hurt.

"Excuse me?"

Everyone's eyes darted to her the moment she spoke and for a second Sakura forgot what she was going to say, stunned by the malicious glance Gaara gave her. She swallowed hard once again before standing to her feet.

"I believe the decision in this case is mine to make." She said as sternly as she could. She still sounded meek.

The Kazekage chuckled darkly. "My dear, I'm not sure you understand the full gravity of the situation and as your acting regent I would advise you not to get involved."

"I _am_ involved, and what, may I ask, do I not understand?" Sakura barked, surprised by the bravery and sharpness of her own words and the authority they held. "This man, Utsute, the former caretaker of my protectors disobeyed orders and let Gaara loose. The way I see it, if Utsute had not acted the way he had I _would _be dead now, and so would _you_."

Gaara blinked. Had he heard right? Did this little figurehead just become more than the Kazekage's pawn? And why on earth was she defending him?

The Kazekage's fists clenched. "So what is it you wish to do, My Lady?" he almost hissed.

Sakura held her head high. "Release Utsute. He will not be punished for his supposed mistake and he will be reinstated as head caretaker of Jouhin, Gaara, and now Naruto."

Gaara gaped at her. Her? This _Princess _defending them? Defending _him? _What had Jouhin told her? Whatever it was, she would pay later for letting this girl know thing she wasn't supposed to know. Things about him no know was supposed to know.

"Fine." The Kazekage spat. "Shizuka!" The man appeared out of no where. "Release Utsute from prison. That is all."

"Yes, My Lord." The man bowed.

The next thing Sakura knew, The Kazakage had marched out the door, as had Gaara, off in separate directions, unable to be in the same room with one another anymore. Or perhaps it was her who had made them flee?

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Are you mad? Chalenging the Kazekage like that? And in front of everyone?" Jouhin spoke, leading Sakura down a hall.

"I sure showed the Kazekage whose boss, didn't I?" she giggled.

Jouhin's smile faltered. "Actually, I think you hurt his feelings. He's just doing what he feels is best for the country, and I don't think he appreciates being told he's wrong by you, especially when you're so young."

Sakura frowned. "Oh…"

"Perhaps you should go apologize?" Her new friend suggested.

Sakura bit her lip, her face turning red. "You think I should?"

"Yes. I can go with you if you want." She smiled.

"N-no that's alright. I'll go myself." The Princess bent her head low, turning and walking back down the hall.

Had she really been so disrespectful? Just the thought made her feel even more ashamed. Lost in thought, she walked on, not paying much attention to where she was going, that was until she ran straight into someone when she rounded a corner.

Walking straight into them forced all the air out of her lungs and made her feel faint. She gripped the person's shoulders to try and steady herself, but then she looked up. The man she was now depending on for support glared down at her with pure hatred, his green-blue eyes piercing her soul.

"Ah… I- I-"

His hands gripped her own shoulders and Sakura gasped when his fingernails pierced her skin. Then she was thrown back onto the hard floor, Gaara still hovering over her.

He could smell the blood leaking from her arms when he had ripped them open. He could taste it on the tips of his fingernails. His whole body was shaking with rage and excitement as that putrid smell engulfed him. Now was his chance. No he was going to kill her.

"I'm sorry."

Gaara snapped out of his haze, staring at her, shocked. She was now kneeling in front of him, bowing her head slightly. "I'm sorry." She repeated. "I didn't mean to run into you." Gaara felt his stomach and his fists clench.

Sakura was just getting to her feet when she was once again forcefully handled by the man she was so afraid of. This time he dragged her to her feet and slammed her hard against a wall.

"Why?" He spat in her face.

Sakura could literally feel her heart trying to free itself from her chest. It beat erratically and her whole body shook. She wanted to close her eyes so she wouldn't have that stabbing gaze of his meeting her. They refused to close, and just stared back at him, wide with fright.

"Why?" Gaara barked at her again, forcefully shaking her shoulders.

Her voice was nothing but a stuttered whisper. "W-Why w-wh-what?"

His nails dug back into the groves that had previously been made on her arm. More blood droplets leaked out. "Why do you apologize?" Those crazy eyes of his refused to let her look anywhere else. Feel anything else but the pain and hate they held for her.

When she didn't answer Gaara's grip tightened. She winced in pain. "A master has no obligation to apologize to a slave!" He growled at her.

Her throat was so tight, but somehow Sakura heard herself start to speak.

"Y-you're not a- a s-slave."

He pushed her into the wall harder. Sakura could have sworn the plaster was going to break, as was her skull.

"Let's get one thing straight, _Princess_," he hissed in her ear. "I do not need your pity. All I need is your heart to stop beating and your blood staining my hands."

She heard Gaara's special sand swirl around in his gourd. Tiny grains had escaped and she could feel them brushing against the skin at her throat. Sakura felt herself shiver, perhaps from the sand, or maybe it was his hot breath on her neck as his whispered "All I need… is to end your life."

END

Next update: Jan 15th if I get to 50 reviews. Jan 20th if I don't get that many.


	10. Chapter 9: Compromises

One day late. Sorry. I also hope the spelling/grammar isn't too bad. I didn't read over it more than once.

Chapter 9

Compromises

She couldn't breathe. Maybe because those eyes of his were boring into her. Or, more likely, because his hand was gripping her throat and he had started to squeeze. It was over before she could blink.

"My Lady!"

His hand vanished from her throat instantly. She felt herself sink slowly to the ground as everything went a little hazy. She could hear a deep growling not far away from her. Gaara, she presumed.

The other voice she recognized as the Kazekage. "Lay another hand on her and you will be put to death!"

Gaara snickered. "Wouldn't dream of it, _My Lord_.**" **

"Get to your cell! Now! Guards!"

Sakura managed to speak out then. "No…" Her voice trailed as a whisper.

Then the Kazekage's surprised voice. "What? But, My Lady-"

"No cell," She murmured, trying to get her strength back and sit up again.

"But-"

"No cell." She repeated, shakily rising to her feet. She heard the Kazekage sigh and then the guards arrive. He waved them off.

"Fine. Have it your way. And you! Get out of my sight!" He barked at Gaara.

"Gladly!" The red head spat back, turning to leave. Just before he walked away he grabbed Sakura's arm again, yanking her towards him and once again whispering harshly in her ear.

"You're going to regret not locking me up when you had the chance. The next time you get in my way again, I _will_ kill you."

Then he was gone, walking down the hall and out of sight before even the Kazekage had a chance to act. Sakura fell to her knees again, in total shock. The next thing she knew she was being supported by the Kazakage as he led her away.

Then she was in the Kazakage's study, seated on the couch in one corner of the dark room.

"I fear your kindness will one day be the death of you," He sighed. Then he sat behind his desk and took off his hat and mask to rub his face as if tired.

"I'm sorry," she said weakly, trying to sit up and regain her strength.

"It's not your fault. You're just kind, like your mother was. Always so kind…" He paused for a moment, looking down at his paperwork. "Why on earth were you wandering around on your own anyway?"

Sakura thought back, trying to remember. "I… was coming to see you."

"Ah," He almost chuckled, waking over to the light switch and bathing his office in light. "Then how may I be of assistance to you?" He turned to face her.

Sakura couldn't answer him. She simply stared.

The Kazekage gave her a puzzled look. "What's wrong, My Lady? You look somewhat frightened."

"You…" she tried to speak. "You look just like Gaara."

The Kazekage glanced in the small stand up mirror on his desk. His hair was dark red with perhaps a little more brown in it than what Gaara had. He had green eyes, lacking the small flakes of blue Gaara had in his. Like the boy he did have black rings around his lower lid, though they weren't nearly as large and dark and they were absent on his upper lids. His skin was pale and overall there was little difference between the structure of his nose, chin, and cheek bones and that of Sakura's protector's.

He smirked. "I suppose so, but being related will often make two people look alike."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You're related to Gaara?"

The Kazekage frowned. "My genetic material was used to create his physical being, yes, but he is far from my son. My real son was killed at birth so that his body could be used as a vessel for Gaara."

The conversation Sakura had had with Naruto came back to her, about he and the other protectors were created...

"Oh," Sakura said dumbly, unable to think of a different reply.

The Kazekage smiled at her. "Now that that's out of the way, what was it you were going to say?"

Sakura thought back, trying to remember. "Oh yes. Kazekage-sama-"

"Zurui." He cut her off.

"Excuse me?" She questioned.

"You may call me Zurui. After all, you _are_ my superior, My Lady." He smiled.

"It's Sakura." She replied back with her own smile.

"Sakura-sama." The Kazekage bowed his head slight. "What was it you wished to speak with me about?"

She bit her lip and blushed slightly. "I… I wanted to apologize for my behavior and brunch. I was far too forward."

The Kazakage snickered slightly. "There is no need to apologize, My Princess. It was I who was out of line, undermining your authority. If anyone should be asking for forgiveness it should be me. Forgive me." He bowed his head again.

"But… But…"

"Sakura-sama," He smiled at her. "As I said, _you _are my superior. It is I who must listen to you, not the other way around. However, I would appreciate it if from now on we could discuss matters before you make your final decision."

Sakura felt her heart lift slightly. "Very well Zurui-sama, then may I discuss a matter with you presently?"

He sat down behind his desk, motioning to the chair in front of him. "But of course."

"It's about Jouhin and… Gaara." She watched his face become grave, but went on. "I… don't care very much for the way they are treated here in Suna. They're my protectors, after all, not slaves.

"Back in Konoha, Naruto was… free. He could go where he wanted and do what he wanted. He wasn't… restrained. And he was trusted. There was no need to have people to guard someone who was supposed to be guarding me."

The Kazekage listened with a stern face, folding his hands together. "I understand what you are saying. Perhaps we have been a little overly cautious with Jouhin. She has always been trustworthy and without suspicion. I suppose we could remove her collar… but to say she is treated like a slave… She is given food and living quarters. Plenty of freedom."

"Then why doesn't it feel that way?"

Zurui pursed his lips together. "Perhaps you do not understand. No one can be completely free. Even your Naruto is not such. He _is_ your slave in a since, no matter what you want to believe. He cannot have a life, cannot go off and pressure a dream and have a family and do anything that his heart desires. He is tied to you, permanently, and will forever have the obligation of putting you first. Even if you sent him away, set him free, he could still not be relinquished from the contract he has been under since before he was born. He _must _protect you from now until the day he dies."

Sakura was… shocked. She'd never thought of it that way, but it was true. Naruto… he was forced to be there for her. He would never abandon her, whether he wanted to or not because they were tied together. She was his keeper, and could never set him free.

The Kazekage went on. "But I do see your point. They are people, just like you and me, be they demons or humans. I suppose the restraint collars take away their… rights, I guess. If they can never truly be free, it is best they have as much as possible.

"I will send to have Jouhin's collar removed and will also inform her of her new privileges. She will no longer be guarded and will have free reign of the palace and may venture out whenever she is not officially working."

"Thank you," Sakura bowed her head slightly. "But, what about Gaara?"

Zurui's face darkened immensely. "Sakura-sama. I will, under no circumstances, allow that monster to go free."

Sakura simply nodded. Morally, she disagreed. But thinking about him not being monitored… it terrified her.

"Well," the Kazekage interrupted her thoughts "It seems that this is indeed a good arrangement; to talk with each other on issues. Things get done quite neatly, wouldn't you agree? However, I'm afraid we're out of time for the day. You, as well as I, must start preparing for the farewell parade."

Sakura fround. "What parade?"

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura sighed, reminding herself once again that she was unable to move.

They marched down the Suna streets, lined with her subjects, all scrambling to get a look at her. The royal guard marched all around on white stallions, dressed in their best uniforms. Each of the Lords and advisors road along in carriages and foot soldiers marched with the Calvary. The Kazekage himself was ahead of her, being lifted up on a silver platform by many muscular men. They marched him and his perch along, though Sakura couldn't look at it for too long. The lavish dress and jewels covering the Kazekage blinded her.

Naruto was positioned at her right, also in extravagant military dress Sakura knew did not befit him. She said nothing though, only watched as he suffered in silence for her. Jouhin too was dressed up more finely than Sakura had ever seen her, but it was Gaara's transformation that struck her the hardest. He looked professional. You could never guess just that morning he's tried to kill her. Aagain.

He too wore the dark blue military uniform complete with hat and overcoat and sword, marching along with the other foot soldiers. To someone with an untrained eye it would seem he was just part of the ranks, not being guarded by the very soldiers he marched with. His hair was as neat as it could possibly manage to be, but he was still Gaara. Though she could not see his face, Sakura knew. She knew he was resenting her, resenting life and would have the best scowl he could muster upon his face. His collar hung heavily around his neck. Even from her high perch, Sakura could see that much.

She too was being carried on a pedestal by many muscular men, hers coated in an overlay of gold and being hoisted as high as possible into the sky. She was dressed in the biggest, pinkest dress she had with accents everywhere from her silver shoes and tiara to her white gloves.

Sakura felt like a doll. An overly expensive, rich and snobby doll. Her hair, done up with white lilies, was set perfectly in place as was the rest of her as she kneeled on her pedestal, holding her head high. She couldn't move a muscle or risk ruining something and making the Kazakage angry. They were finally seeing eye to eye and she didn't want to mess things up. However, every time the men carrying her groaned, a piece of her heart died. Oh how she wished she was lighter to lessen their burden. Or better yet, she wished she could have walked.

The heat, too, was getting to her. It was late in the afternoon and the sun would be setting soon, yet still the heat was relentless. Sweat was dripping off the men carrying her as the heat waves rose from the ground. She felt herself sweat too, though not so severely thanks to her clothes that had a wonderful ability to breath. Naruto looked like he was dying, his normally red face was even redder. But the guard marched on, used to the heat and the sun.

The Kazakage waved to the subjects as the announcer repeated "Her Royal Highness Princess Sakura Akari of The Land of Wind, and His Excellency, Zurui Uragiru, Kazakage."

Sakura wanted to wave too, but something inside her made her stop. She felt ashamed to be in such a state, embarrassed to be displayed as such. Why draw more attention to herself by waving? Though, more attention was probably impossible. They were all looking at her, cheering for her, throwing flowers onto the road in front of her throne bearers.

She felt faint. She wasn't ready. She couldn't do it. She was no princess. Her head started to spin. The hot Suna sun beating down on her did no good. The slight breeze helped but it was still so hot…

"Sakura-sama?"

Somehow despite all the noise of the cheering and the sound of the parade she heard Naruto, turning her head ever so slightly so she could see him.

"Naruto!" she pleaded, hoping he could see the desperation in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked her with a concerned tone.

"No. I just want to get out of here. I want to go home." She was almost crying.

"That's no way for a princess in a parade to act." He tried to humor her. "Don't worry though. The sun's going down, and the Kazekage said we would be stopping for dinner soon."

"_All _of us?" There must have been at least a hundred people in the parade.

"Everybody but the guard, I think. Just hold out a little longer. By the way, you look beautiful sitting up there, like a real princess."

"Naruto," Sakura almost blushed, or perhaps it was just from the heat.

"Or at least, that's what Sasuke told me to tell you." Naruto grinned wider.

Sakura blushed a deeper red.

The parade continued on and, looking to the sky Sakura saw what she believed was the most beautiful thing in the world, even more so than that desert sunrise her and Naruto had seen up on top of the mountain. It was a Suna sunset. The sky painted itself a million colors as the sun behind them dipped lower and lower. Then the sky turned deep blue as the sun disappeared altogether, sinking into the desert sand.

The guard was dispatched and Sakura and the Kazakage transferred to a carriage before them and the nobles carried on towards what Zurui assured her was the beast restaurant in all of Suna. The entire place had been reserved for them and their party.

Sakura ended up at the main table of course, with the Kazakage and her special guests. Kakashi was seated on her right, talking with her about the old days, but she wasn't really listening. Sasuke was right across from her, his eyes boring down and that little smirk on his lips. She felt herself blush deeper every time his smirk grew.

Naruto was talking with the Kazakage of all people, and, from what Sakura could gather between listening to Kakashi and blushing at Sasuke, they were getting along. They were discussing his future role in the palace and shifts and things like that.

Jouhin was sitting with them as well, talking away with a happy smile on her face to the unresponsive red head next to her. He didn't look like he wanted to kill her, but Sakura wasn't deceived. She saw the way his fists were clenched. Gaara was trying with all his might not to leap across the table and gut her. Jouhin's babbling was serving as a minor distraction.

Kakashi. "…and with the treaty between us being iron clad…"

Zurui. "... so it's required that you have guard duty at least once a day."

Naruto. "As long as I don't have to wear a collar."

Sasuke. "…"

Jouhin. "I saw this amazing kimono in one of the stores we passed…" She kept touching her neck, now free of the restraining collar.

Gaara. "Hn," He looked annoyed. Very annoyed.

"Sakura-sama? Sakura?"

"Hu?" She pulled her eyes away from a smirking Sasuke and an annoyed Gaara and back to Kakashi.

"What do you think? About my proposal?" He smiled at her from under his mask.

Sakura bit her lip. "I… uh…"

"I think it's a splendid idea Kakashi. The caravans would benefit from it greatly." The Kazekage interjected.

"Yes, greatly," Sakura murmured, still focusing her attention on Sasuke with more and more of it being directed to Gaara every times he readjusted his arms crossed over his chest or clenched his fists tighter.

Then, he did something new. He stiffened in his chair before rising suddenly to his feet. His eyes were wide and wild, his body tensed. Then Jouhin was on her feet as well, acting in the same manner as Gaara. Naruto's ears seemed to perk up.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, folding his book up and putting it away.

"Something's wrong." Jouhin whispered, not taking her eyes off the door to the restaurant. Gaara nodded.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed with them, getting more and more on edge.

Gaara's eyes darkened. "They're coming."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, the door to the restaurant burst open. A shinobi rushed in, a terrified look on his face. "Demons!" He panted. "They're coming towards the city."

END

Yeah, nothing much happens, sorry. But I had to put this in before the next chapter (which will be pretty intense, just saying.) Next update, Jan 29th. As always, if I get to a certain number of reviews (this time it's 55) then you'll get it earlier.


	11. Chapter 10: Breaking Point

I hated having to write this chapter. I can't tell you how much I despise Sasuke's character in the manga and anime, so writing about him and having to turn him into a nice guy kinda killed me. Forgive me...

And PLEASE pardon the spelling. There's a reason we're called writers, not editors.

Chapter 10

Breaking point

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura had always prided herself on her ability to remain calm and collected. It had been her most useful attribute for her medical ninja training. For some reason, when she was on the job, everything else just melted away. She got a type of tunnel vision and her brain focused in on the situation at hand. Nothing mattered, nothing before and nothing after, just what was in the moment. Only when her job was completed would everything come crashing down on her at once.

Her first real assistance was horrifying, or at least, she realized it was once it was over. She had been called out to help on a medical sight just outside the fighting zone. Konoha was clashing with a small rival village, not in any way a war, but indefinitely a battle.

She could hear the sound of the fighting all around her, far off in the battle fields and of the shinobi guarding the medical sight from the enemy. The noise, the screaming, the chaos, and the blood. She hadn't noticed any of it, not until her last patient was taken care of and the fighting had ceased. That was when everything came crashing down to her.

She knew the same thing would happen now, that once everything went still she would break down crying over the dead and wounded and collapse of exhaustion. She would crumble in the aftermath, but none of that mattered now.

She'd set up her base right inside the wall, below the two main guard towers marking the doors to the city. Both stone slabs were shut, not allowing anything behind to enter.

Her base was small, too small for the amount of work pouring in. She had fifteen medics on her hands while the rest were dispatched to the field to take care of the injuries that could be healed quickly. Fifteen was not enough. Shinobi after shinobi were brought in to the makeshift hospital, onto the cloth covered ground being used as beds and tables. Bandages, needle, and other medical equipment. And blood.

Stretched so thin, the numerous patients were being neglected. The more serious ones were treated first, but many could not be brought back. Sakura knew, after her heart melted when everything stopped, it would break. She had to make the call to start separating into groups. Those with little hope to be saved were now at the end of the list to be treated. Yes, indeed, her heart would break.

The Kazekage had demanded she be brought to the palace, to be guarded and kept safe. Obviously, she had refused. She was the Princess, the leader of her people. If she was not at the front lines to lead, how could her people fight for her? It wasn't as if she was even in danger, kept well protected behind Suna's strong wall. Even if she was in danger, as long as she could help. As long as she could save a life…

"The Kazekage is preparing to lead his platoon out, My Lady," her runner, Shizuka, informed her.

She clamped off the artery in the shinobi's leg, flushing out the wound and readying her needle. "What of Kakashi and the others?"

"Kakashi-sama received an injury five minutes back. He was healed on the field and is still fighting. Sasuke-san and Naruto-san are also still fighting. They are holding out, but their position will soon be shifted. The Kazekage has ordered them to the front of his platoon."

Sakura finished stitching up the wound. "Give him a shot of morphine, then over to block 4. He'll live, but he might lose the leg," She told her assistant. Her command was carried out immediately.

"What of Jouhin?"

"Fighting alongside Kakashi-sama and the rest. She has not received treatment for anything as of yet." Shizuka replied.

"And Gaara?" She cringed when his name slipped through her lips. Shizuka cringed as well. Why did she care what was happening to him?

"Repairing the third guard tower. It almost completely collapsed. He was hit in the abdomen a while back but has refused treatment."

The next patient brought before Sakura had several ruptured internal organs. She could see one of his main arteries leaking heavily into his chest cavity. "Morphine," she instructed her assistant. "Block one. He won't make it."

"Anything else, My Lady?" Shizuka sounded anxious as the noise of battle intensified. The Kazekage was marching out. Another round of cannons fired.

She nodded. "Return in five minutes. Keep an eye on everyone. If Gaara's injuries get worse, inform me. I shall see to him."

Shizuka bowed and left and another broken body was placed in front of her. Yet another young ninja who would not make it. Block one was filling up much faster than the others.

It didn't seem like Shizuka was back in five minutes. It was as if he had returned almost instantly.

"My Lady!" He gasped, clutching his side. "The third medical platoon was taken out. Only two members survived."

"How many does that leave in the field?" Her hands kept busy with another rushed surgery.

"Twenty, My Lady. It is not enough."

"There's not enough here to spare!" Her voice sounded desperate as she realized the patient in front of her also had to be sent to block one. If only she had more times and more hands, he could be saved, but not with her current resources.

"We need more medics though! The Kazekage's platoon is getting slaughtered!"

She was not an idiot. The men and women pouring in now bore the seal of said platoon.

"Kamiko!" She called to her head assistant. "You're in charge!"

Sakura marched off, using a pair of medical scissors to cut off the bottom of her kimono as she went. It was already covered in blood as were the white flowers still in her hair. There was no saving the garment.

"But My Lady! The Kazekage ordered you were not to be let onto the field. It is you they are targeting, after all." Shizuka protested.

"I have no choice." She pulled on a pair of shoes that had been discarded by a dead shinobi. She also took the young man's ninja headband, using it to tie her long hair up and out of her face. The last thing was the medic pack she tied to her waist and the bloody kunai she grasped for protection. Even Shizuka could tell she was unaware of how to use it.

"But, Princess!" He protested, but it was too late. Sakura started up the side of the wall, reaching the top quickly and being thrown into more chaos. Warriors scrambled everywhere. Cannons were loaded. Her future patients were hauled up and over the wall. She ran past them all, up onto one of the main guard towers so that she could see the battle field.

She was caught off guard seeing the Kazekage in the tower as well.

"Princess, what are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you down with your platoon?" she threw back, moving to pear over the wall. The scene would come back and haunt her once her stone heart softened. The sand, all of the sand gleamed read even in the moonlight, and was littered with the dead and dying. She pinpointed the medics, healing who they could, leaving the dead and hauling the wounded back to the wall. From their other shinobi hauled them to the makeshift hospitals.

Then she tried to find her friends. Jouhin was the first she spotted, at the back of the line, finishing off any demon who managed to break through everyone else. Each demon fell with a single senbon through their neck. They dropped like flies, none of them even getting close enough to attack her.

Naruto was… hard to miss, once again a giant fox, slashing away at the enemy. They fell in hordes where he stood at the front of the line, yet the demons numbers still overwhelmed him and many made it through.

She found Gaara next, near the wall. With one hand she could see him bringing the wall back into place and with the other using his special sand to slash away at the demons. He finished repairing as soon as she started watching him and devoted all he had to killing. The demons were sucked into the sand and crushed beneath it, spilling more blood. His power was limited though. Compared to the first time she'd seen his sand burial, it was much smaller, unable to crush many at a time.

But, when Sakura went to find Kakashi and her Sasuke, she saw nothing. She couldn't pick up on their chakra signals in the sea of bodies, nor could she spot their hair or apparel. Everything in the sea looked the same. Red and bloody.

"…that's why I didn't go. I will be though, if my commander fails me." The Kazekage had been speaking while she wasn't listening. His words reached her for only a brief moment before she spotted it, a speck of white marking out her teacher's hair. And he was being dragged towards the pile of shinobi awaiting transport to the hospital.

Sakura jumped off the tower, plummeting towards earth before the Kazakage could do anything to stop her. Then she was running towards him.

The moans of the injured reminded her of back at the hospital, only there were no medics to help them here. The shinobi at the wall's base had no option other than to sit and wait. Wait to die, wait to live. Wait for someone to come and take away the pain.

She was at her sensei's side in a heartbeat, examining him and blocking out his words. She knew they all had to do with protests. Go back to your base. You shouldn't be here. Excreta, excreta.

His arm was broken, a quick fix, which she tended to first while ripping off his vest and searching for his other injuries. The huge, gaping gash in his abdomen was hard to miss. Applying pressure, she shouted to someone, anyone who could hear her. A young ninja responded to her, awing at the fact he was gazing upon the princess.

"Give me your sash!" the man ripped it from his uniform as quickly as he could, watching as Sakura wrapped Kakashi's stomach as tightly as she could manage. "Take him back to the main medic base! Give him to Kamiko. Tell her he has top priority."

"Y-yes ma'am." He bent over and lifted Kakashi as best he could.

"Sakura," He teacher groaned. She ignored his words of protest yet again, moving to depart onto the battle field, to search for more in need. Her teacher went on. "Sasuke…"

She turned on her heal faster than she would have thought possible, running back to her sensei. "What?" he was fading out of consciousness. "Kakashi-sensei! What about Sasuke?" Her heart was pounding harder than ever before.

"He's in trouble. Front line…" Kakashi was passing out.

Sakura could feel her barrier breaking. Everything around her she saw but refused to take in. It was starting to penetrate her expert shield, all at the mention of her dear friend.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Take him to the base!" She barked. The young ninja jumped at her command, hauling the white-haired man over the wall. And then Sakura was off, running as fast as her feat would carrier her.

Even being untrained in what a real battle looked like, she could tell it was nearing the end. The demons were few and scattered, the shinobi beginning to dominate. She contributed most of the success to Naruto and Gaara, each one taking out as many as fifty demons at a time. And of course Jouhin. Without her, the shinobi on the wall would have had to fire cannons and stop the scaling demons all at once.

Then she was at the front line, the amount of demons increasing slightly. Most didn't seem to notice her. No one did as she darted along, off to a flank where all had been annihilated. Somehow she knew Sasuke was there…

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Gaara was having the time of his life, if he could call it that, being able to kill to his heart's content. He projected all his hatred towards her and instead hacked away at the scum of the earth, the scum pure demons like him and originally created. But then he caught a flash of pink in his vision and his happiness was ruined. He saw her sprinting across the sand, headed towards the other flank of the front lines.

What was she thinking? He was after her before he was even aware he had moved, cutting down anyone who was in his path be them friend or foe. All he knew was he had to get to her. Over his dead body was he going to let her be taken by some lowly demon.

Him. Only him. He was the only one allowed to take her life.

By the time Sakura found him, the battle was all but won. The area around her was silent, frighteningly so. And empty, void of any life or hope. Only filled with the dead. And the silence. Not even a moan from some poor soul whose life was ending could be heard. The black night clung to her, the moon being blocked by a rare desert cloud.

"Sasuke!"

He was lying in a heap below what remained of the Kazekage's platoon, his entire body stained with blood. She kept screaming his name as she pulled him out from under the dead.

"Sasuke! Come on! Sasuke!" kneeling beside him she could feel a faint heartbeat but the gaping wound in his stomach and the deep gash though his shoulder were slowly draining it away, demanding that each beat get slower and father apart from the previous.

Her healing hands were upon him, trying to repair his wounds and stop the ever hastening bleeding.

_Block one. _Her mind decided automatically.

"No!" She shouted to herself, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "Not now! Sasuke!"

His eyes were fluttering open, looking up at her with a glazed look. She felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Sasuke!" She was almost smiling, but still the tears kept coming.

_Block one. _

"Sa…kura…" He breathed out, his eyes still locked with hers.

Her tears were dripping onto his wounds. She pushed more chakra to her hands but the wounds just weren't healing fast enough. "Sasuke," she began to blubber. "It's going to be alright. I'm here. You're going to be fine. You're going to be just fine. I'm here now." She pushed harder, but the beading remained the same.

"Sakura," His voice was still faint when he spoke, yet someone happy. "I told Naruto to tell you, you looked really beautiful in the parade."

"Yes, he told me." She ripped her eyes away from his to view the gashes again. There was no improvement.

His hand reached up lightly and was on her cheek then, making her looked back to him. "Well, I'll tell you this time. You look really beautiful Sakura."

She was crying harder. "Sasuke, I'm covered in dirt and blood."

He didn't seem to hear her. "You've always been beautiful," Sasuke went on. "You don't know how happy I am… I got to die for my princess."

"No!" She was holding his hand tightly by then, allowing his other hand to cradle the side of her cheek. "Don't- Don't say things like that! You're not going to die! You're not!"

His eyes were glazing over again. She cried as hard as it was possible, smothering his broken body in a hug she poured her heart and soul into. She felt his hand twitch as it moved, crawling up her arm, across her shoulder and up to touch her face. His fingers were already cold as his eyes fluttered.

She could feel his heart begin to slow drastically.

"Sa… ku…ra…"

She screamed out in the instant his hand slipped from her face and the glimmer in his half shut eyes faded. She used her fingers to close his eyes the rest of the way before crushing herself to his lifeless form, crying into his blood stained shirt. She cried out his name and she cried for him to come back, but most of all she cried, "I loved you."

_Block one. _

She had broken.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Gaara couldn't put a description to what he was feeling. It was almost as if he was… numb. It was close to feeling nothing, only seeing.

She was covered in blood, none of it her own. He could tell from the smell. Most of it came from the dead man she held tightly in her arms.

She was sobbing. "Sasuke! Come back, please come back!" Gaara watched as her body shook with tears. "I love you. You can't leave me here alone. I love you…"

_Love__…_ Gaara's tattoo burned against his forehead.

"You cannot leave me here. Come back. Please! I love you!"

_Love…_

She was so pathetic, weeping over him. He was already gone so why continue to cry? Why cry in the first place? Because she loved him? Love was an impossible emotion. There was no point in crying over something that didn't even exist.

This girl… she was idiotic, even more so that she didn't even have the sense to look up and see the demon charging her, claws sharp and fangs revealed, trying to kill her.

_No!_ Gaara's mind called to him. _I am the only one who can kill her! _

She noticed the demon too late, growling and barreling towards her. It was mere feet away yet she could react. Yet… she didn't feel scared or regrettable. That split second when her eyes met the black orbs of the demon, she was almost happy. The Demon would kill her, and then she'd be with Sasuke…

But then the demon froze, its claws just inches away from grasping her throat. Sakura looked down towards it's horse-like feet, seeing them being sucked slowly into the sand. The Demon groaned, trying to break free from the desert's hold. It was no use.

"What a pathetic lesser demon,"

Sakura turned her head, knowing full well who would be standing right behind her, arms crossed over his chest, gourd strapped to his back, and green eyes piercing. He walked up to the demon being sucked down into the ground, standing no more than arm's length away from it. It swept out its hand to claw at Gaara's face. The fingers were ripped from the hand by the wall of sand that quickly protected its master.

The Demon screamed, then, to Sakura's shock, it did something she thought was not possible. It glowered at Gaara, its hand bleeding heavily. "Shukaku!" It grumbled, low in its chest.

Then, before Sakura knew what was happening next, huge spikes of sand that had spawned from Gaara's protective shield plunged into the demon's flesh, it slumped to the ground, the sand devouring the already dead body. The desert around Suna was nothing more than a giant burial ground.

Then she was screaming at him as he came towards her, gripping her arm tight and trying to pull her off Sasuke's body. "No! Let go! I won't leave him!" She cried, burying her face in the dead man's shirt.

Gaara felt his irritation spark. Her words were already haunting him.

_I love you… _

Her body looked so frail, huddled there on the ground, drenched in blood. She shook violently, partially from her tears and partially from pure shock.

"You should have let it kill me!" She was suddenly screaming at him, tears pouring down her face. Gaara retreated a step, slightly taken aback. He glanced at the freshly killed demon mingling with the sand. "You should have let it kill me!"

She screamed out again. In rage? In pain? Then, with one shaky hand she picked up a fallen kunai from the side of her dead friend. At first, Gaara smirked, thinking she was going to try and use it on him. Her? Kill him? The notion was unbearably amusing. Then his eyes went wide. She pointed the weapon's tip at her own chest and thrust it forward.

END

MUAHAHAHAAA! Dead Sasuke! ^_^, Yeah... sorry. I couldn't contain my joy. I really liked killing him, even if I had to do it in a mushy way. Hopefully that was a good ending though. I'm working at this suspense thing. How do you guys think I did? Are you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next?

Anyway, I'll be really busy for the next few weeks so I'm setting the date for the next update for ** FEB 21st**. I know, LONG time, and I'm sorry. Just hold out, review, and keep checking for updates. Who knows? I might find a chunk of time somewhere.


	12. Chapter 11: Brave

Sorry it took so long. Blame life and computer games. Thanks for being so patient! Anyhow, here it is. Hope you like. Don't botch me on spelling mistakes, please. I am a writer. Not an editor.

Chapter 11

Brave

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

_I killed him…_

_I killed Sasuke… _

_If he wasn't trying to protect me… _

_I deserve to die… _

She held her breath waiting for the pain of sweet release. Waiting to ride herself of guilt and pain and the shame of it all. How could she go on? Her friend was lost. What would Naruto say? He'd hate her forever for murdering their friend. Kakashi sense would be so disappointed. She couldn't face them and their heavy hearts. She couldn't take it, so she took the only way out open to her and thrust the kunai towards her guilty heart.

It hit and embedded itself, but it wasn't in contact with her flesh. The kunai was buried up to its hilt in the wall of sand blocking its path to her skin.

"Wha…"

"Coward!"

Instantaneously, the sand had shifted, turning towards her and incasing her in a cocoon of fine grains. She couldn't move. She couldn't think. The sand constricted and she gasped, the air in her lungs being forced out. Then she was lifted from the ground so that she was floating in the sand, positioned directly in front of Gaara. His eyes burned her.

"Traitor! Coward!" He spat at her, furry raging all around. "How _dare _you? How _dare __you?_"

The sand squeezed her tighter, crushing her lungs and body.

"Why don't you just look at what's you've done! Look!" Gaara barked, motioning to the graveyard of fallen soldiers laid to rest on beds of bloody sand amongst the demons they brought down in death. "Do you see what you've done? See what you've caused?"

He tore his burning eyes back to her. "How many have died for you? How many more will suffer? Pathetic wretch, how many lives have you ruined? You come into this world and threaten these demonic brutes, _then _you dare to tear me away from my home and my life! You took away my freedom and hope and took me from all I ever loved only to bring me here to die for you! And after all this world has done for you, you _dare _to throw it away?"

His hand show forward, cold, covered in dry blood and shaking from rage. He tightened it around her neck, causing her eyes to go wider.

"No! After all of that, I _refuse _to allow you any courtesy! You will not take your life, little girl! You may wish for death, but you will not receive it blissfully by your own hands, no! If anything you will beg for life as I take the very thing you long for and rip it slowly and painfully from your grasp so that your suffering will by immeasurable compared to what you feel right now!"

The tears streamed noiselessly down her cheek.

"You useless, pathetic waist of life…" Gaara glared down at her. "You want to die? Because you deserve it. But, right now, I'm not gonna let you."

He raised his hands again, moving to release her from the sand prison. He never got the chance.

The sand came down around her in a cascade as she hit the ground with a low thud. She gasped, sand burning her lungs and her wet face and bloody hands.

"Sakura!"

Everything else of that day passed in a haze of dreams. That battle was won. Or was it? Everyone was dead, or moving quickly back and forth and up and down and blurring into the lines of the sand. She was in Naruto's arms, gliding through the kayos, crying? She couldn't remember. He brought her over the wall and behind her she saw others following. Jouhin. She was alive. Colored red, but still breathing and moving. And Gaara. He too was stained from battle, but alive. Or was he? He was being carried by two soldiers, limp, unmoving. Dead?

_Useless… Pathetic. A waist… _

The tears kept rubbing with the grains stuck to her skin.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

How could this happen?" The voice barked. "This was _not_ supposed to happen!"

A second voice spoke. "You promised us. You promised us the princess. Why then did you slaughter us instead?"

"I couldn't just let you get through. We agreed any casualties I inflicted would be overlooked."

"That's not the point!"

"I know! But everything was perfect! The main platoon was slaughtered!"

"But in the end you failed. The Jinshuriki were the death of us."

"The Kyuubi cannot be restrained! She won't allow it. Then Gaara and-"

"It was not just them that won the battle, but the princess and her medics! We would have been victorious if she wasn't the one pulling the strings."

"I could not stop her! No one can undermine her authority!"

"Then you must find a way! The princess must be destroyed, and then, as promised, you will have everything."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

She sat there in bed, unable to move. Almost unable to breathe.

Sasuke was gone. Hundreds had perished, and she had been cowardly enough not to face it all. And now poor Gaara…

She had to do something, anything. To sit by idly would only be to further his accusations. But her body just wouldn't move. Depression had overrun her, and she couldn't shake it. But then she thought back to all of what Jouhin had told her.

He was the first of her protectors to be created, and, as is almost every first thing, he was deemed imperfect. Jouhin and Naruto could function as almost completely normal humans. Gaara could not. His demon was too strong, locked inside a container that was flawed.

He couldn't sleep, for, if he did, Shukaku would come out, his body would transform and he would die because of the collar around his neck, preventing such a transformation.

By nature, Shukaku despised humans and would stop at nothing to kill them all. Being forced to serve them, was like Gaara's worst nightmare. Human life was not cut out for a demon who wanted nothing more than to be left alone and kill when he wanted to.

He also couldn't love, a fact Sakura found impossible to believe. He was programmed, just as Jouhin and Naruto were, to love her, but something had gone wrong. Now he felt nothing. Nothing but hatred and resentment. He couldn't love anyone or anything, especially her, the reason for his imprisonment.

And it was Sakura's fault he was locked up yet again, a container within a container below the palace of Suna. She had to help him. It had been weeks. The longer she sat idle, the more his mind would deteriorate past the point of forgiveness, if he had not already reached it.

She haled herself up moving slowly to pull her robe over her and attempt to make her hair presentable. It was time.

The palace was practically deserted. Everyone was preoccupied with better things to do, training new troops, healing the wounded, and cleaning up the carnage. The city had to be protected, above all so that then she might be safe.

Sakura shuffled through the corridors, making her way towards the Kazekage's office, but, when she came to the closed doors of the conference room and heard voices inside, she stopped.

"Konoha is already our greatest ally. Why not have the Princess marry one of their own?" one of the lords suggested.

"Their king is far too old, and his only child is already married." She heard the Kazekage go on.

"What about one of their country's Lords?" spoke another.

"That's a possibility…" Zurui mused. "But really. Kanton already pointed out, Konoha is our greatest ally. We are already tied to them through numerous treaties and the Princess herself. Why thicken the blood when there is no need?"

"Then perhaps to another country's young prince or a lord? To strengthen a different bond?"

"Yes, but it would have to be a country The Land of Fire is also allies with. Perhaps Amegakure? Or The Land of Lightning?"

"Do tell me why we are rushing into this now? She is still only a child. She is not even ready to reign." The Kazekage argued. Sakura felt a little prick of thankfulness.

"But she will be sooner than you think, Zurui. Or is it you are just unwilling to relinquish your power?" Another man spoke.

The Kazekage replied. "I want only what is best for the Princess."

"What is best for her and the country is for her to be married, and soon! We need more alliances and shinobi if we are to survive. This last battle nearly crushed us!"

"If you are insisting she be married, then fine! We shale find her a husband but, regardless of alliances, I believe she should marry into royalty of The Land of Wind. Our country's royalty has never bled outside our nation and it is best to be strengthened from within."

"There is a first time for everything, especially when treaties are on the line!"

Sakura opened the door then, walking into the well lit room and eyeing all the men around the large table. The room grew silent instantly. She took in an unsteady breath, trying to disguise the fact that she was barely steady on her feet.

"What seems to be the topic of conflict, gentlemen?" She asked in the strongest tone she could muster. "And why was I not invited to join this debate?"

"My Princess," The Kazekage greeted. "We- we were not expecting you to be up and about today. You have, after all, been in morning for some time…" he eyed her black robes.

"Is that why you chose now to discuss a marriage? Knowing I was too ill of heart and mind to partake?" She question, moving to her empty seat beside Zurui at the table.

"Well, now that you are here, Sakura-sama, what is it you think?" asked a lord.

She sat down, biting her lip slightly. The room was spinning. "I think… I do not wish to be married."

"I told you! She is far too young," The Kazekage crossed his arms over his chest, before readjusting his hat.

"But, My Lady," another Lord continued. "Surely, despite your frailness at the moment, you understand your country's situation? We are in desperate need of reinforcements and for those, alliances must be made. A marriage is the best solution."

Sakura thought for a moment. "Alliances can be made in a different way. The Land of Lightning is currently being overrun by demons, are they not? If I am the one who is supposed to put an end to the demonic race, it is not unfathomable to assume they would be willing to make an alliance with us?"

Many lords broke out in argument all at once. One spoke about the rest. "And perhaps then, Her Highness would be willing to marry the county's Prince if their support helped us win this war?"

The arguing quieted. "That is a possibility…" one Lord put out.

"Absolutely not! The Prince of The Land of Lightning is nothing but a spoiled brat." The Kazekage hissed.

"Amegakure is in the same position. Demons are at their gates even as we speak. Marrying into that branch of royalty might also be helpful."

"Absolutly not!" Zurui repeated.

"It was merely a suggestion." Someone spoke.

Sakura could feel her strength wavering as Sasuke and Gaara's faces pushed their way into her mind again and again, though she fought them back. "I have already said it; I do not wish to be married."

"You have to be," The Kazekage told her. "Be it this year, next, or many from now, you will one day be married. It is simply a question of to whom and from what country they hail."

More arguing commenced. Some fought for her to marry outside the nation, for the purpose of treaties. Others, including the Kazekage, argued she marry within The Land of Wind's existing royal blood lines. It was all too much.

"Stop!" Sakura commanded, standing up. The room quieted. She breathed deeply, siting quickly back down before she swooned. "As I have said, I will not marry, least of all someone you have chosen for me."

"But, My Lady…" many started to protest again.

"She is right!" the Kazekage's booming voice quieted the room. "We cannot force her. But, perhaps, Princess, we may come to some… arrangement?"

"Yes! Yes!" the Lords started. "What must we do for you so you will agree?"

Her thoughts instantly moved back to the reason she had been seeking out Zurui in the first place. Here, in this situation, proposing it as a barter, she could possibly win, but at the price of her chastity? She had just lost her only love, watched him die in her arms.

She swallowed hard. She couldn't afford to be a coward any longer. He was gone. Now, she had to do what was best for her people; marry, set Gaara free, and, with any luck, become useful.

_Forgive me, Sasuke…_

"How about this?" She took in a deep breath. The Kazekage brought her some water, seeing her fatigue. "I will agree to marry," she continued "not anytime in the next six months, but after that, whenever you see fit. I will agree to meet any suitors you wish me to and will not protest your final decision, weather the engagement be for political alliances or otherwise. However, I will require the Kazekage to have the final say as to whom I will marry, only to be overruled if you all oppose him. Is this a suitable compromise?"

The Kazekage grinned. "As long as I have the final say."

The others murmured agreement, though you could tell many were put off by the Kazekage making the final decision.

"And what will you require in return Princess?" one asked her.

She sighed. Now to see if they would go for it. "Set Gaara free."

A roar of outbursts followed her request. "Absolutely not! No marriage agreement is worth such a price! He'd kill you! He'd destroy the village!"

"I'm sorry," Zurui quieted the others again with his voice alone. "We cannot allow such a steep compromise."

Sakura tried to remain calm, breathing steadily. "What happened out on the battle field was a mistake. Gaara was trying to protect me, not kill me. He is being punished for no reason."

"But the fox saw him! He testified that he saw Gaara try and kill you and stopped it! You did not object then!"

"I was in shock. I don't even clearly remember what happened after Naruto arrived on the scene."

"Gaara is far too dangerous to let out! He almost killed you, Your Highness!"

"I just told you, it was a mistake."

"And no one here has any doubt that if let free he would try and kill you, even if you say that was not his intention."

Once again the Kazekage spoke. "Sakura-sama, Gaara is not to be releases. Not now, not ever. He will rot below the city! He is too dangerous to be set free. He could put your life in danger! He could very well kill us all."

"Isn't that what the ridiculous collar is supposed to prevent?"

"… Well, yes, but-"

"I have given you my proposal. The decision is yours, but I will agree to no marriage if Gaara remains imprisoned."

The table erupted into debate again. Sakura sat quietly, listening the whole time. No matter what the council decided, she had won this round.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura had the solution to her problem. She would no longer be a useless Princess who was there merely to look pretty. She would be strong, brave, and make up for all who had died for her.

_Especially you, Sasuke… _

She was forced to give up her heart in return, to marry anyone the council and Kazekage put forth, but it was for the best. It wasn't as if she was going to marry for love anyway, not with the one person she would ever care about dead and gone.

But still, though her compromise was complete and her solution lied before her, Sakura still found she couldn't breath as she commences her journey down into the dungeons. In her hands she bore a tray of food she had requested from the kitchen. Yet, she walked down alone. The guard who was supposed to take her all the way down those dark and winding stairs of Cell Block 2B had been too scared to continue.

She reached the end of the stare case to find a stone room beyond with four doors. In the middle was a table and chairs where one lone man sat.

He nearly fell out of his chair when he saw her there, dressed in a beautiful red kimono with her pink hair allowed to lay straight down her back. "P-Princess Sakura-sama!" He bowed deeply to her. "Ha- how may I be of assistance?"

She looked at him sweetly. "You must be Utsute."

"Ua… Yes, My Lady." His dark eyes lit up slightly, knowing she knew his name.

"It is nice to finally meet you Sir. Utsute. Jouhin has spoken very highly of you." He slightly blushed at her words.

"My Princess, may I ask what it is you require? Do you need my help in any way?" He bowled slightly again as she walked forward, placing the tray of food on his table.

"Yes," she smiled, trying not to let her nervousness show through. "I wish for you to allow me to see Gaara, please."

Utsute went white. "G-gaara? Are… are you sure? It's not safe you see-"

"I'm sure. Now, would you please direct me to his cell?"

Utsute nodded reluctantly, moving to collect the keys and a small black box from the table. Sakura moved to pick of the tray, leaving Utsute a plate with his dinner on it on the table.

He walked to the fourth door in the room, placing a key in the lock and opening it. It revealed another staircase spiraling down into the dark. Dim torches lined the walls. He handed her another key, which he set on her tray.

"That is the key to his cell, but I'd recommend you don't go in. You could talk through the bars. If you must enter, however, here." He placed the black box on the tray as well. "Just press the red button if he comes at you. It will shock him and his should stop."

"Thank you Utsute-san." Sakura gave him a small curtsy before beginning her journey down the stairs. The door such behind her with a creek. Sakura shivered.

With every step downward she lost more of her nerve. When the door came into view she almost ran back the other way screaming, but she didn't. She wasn't going back now. This was the first step towards making up for what she had failed to do. It was the only way she could think of to become strong. And so she stepped towards her impending doom.

END

So... next chapter. When do you guys want it? :P Let's aim for March 17th. MAYBE earlier, but will have to see.


	13. Chapter 12: Bargain

Is this early...? I don't even remember when I said I was gonna update again... Oh well. Here it is. Your reviews have been so inspiring that I just HAD to put this up. Keep up the good work and hit that review button! ^_^ And please, no critiques on the spelling. I know it's bad. I'm trying here.

Chapter 12

Bargain

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

She put the tray down on the last stair before stepping forward. Sakura was too short, so she had to stand on her tiptoes to see inside the cell. It was disgustingly filthy, and small.

There was a bad excuse for a bed with straw as a mattress. The stone floor too had bits of straw everywhere. Sakura tried to ignore the horrid conditions in one corner that served as a restroom. But what she really paid attention to were the chains on the floor, anchored to the very center of the room. And imprisoned within the room, tied up by those very chains was the man she feared.

He sat on the floor, arms hugging his legs and his head buried in his knees. The chains lay still around his ankles and wrists. He looked so still… not at peace but like he was resting. He almost looked like he was asleep…

Her hand touched the gray bar and in the same instant his head snapped up, his wild eyes glaring straight at her. Her heart jumped back into her throat.

"He- hello Gaara." She whispered.

He was at the door before she could blink, his face mere inches away from her own. "What do you want?" He barked at her, his voice silencing the clanging of his chains.

"I- I…" She swallowed hard. "I brought you your dinner."

He huffed.

"Ca… can I come in?"

"_I'm _not the one with the key, _Princess." _ He glared at her with murder in his eyes.

She swallowed again, moving to pick up the tray and open the door with her rusty key. He moved back from her when she entered, keeping his stance low and his fingernails pointed towards her. It made her feel like she was being stalked. As soon as the door creaked shut behind her, he leapt for her. Sakura pressed herself against the wall, closing her eyes, but the pain didn't come.

Opening her eyes, she saw his face once again inches from her, but his arms were being held far back from her throat by the chains. His eyes were on fire, locked with hers as he struggled, pulling at the chains. He was so close…

He fell back onto the floor, panting, and rubbing his wrists. Sakura could see the blood leaking from them and his ankles. He laid back into the floor, rubbing his eyes and still trying to catch his breath.

"Damn you," he whispered to her, trying to sit up again. Sakura could see how much it made him struggle.

"Are you sick?" She asked him, sinking to her knees with the tray. "You seem so…"

"Weak?" he barked at her. "You see this?" He gripped the collar around his neck. Sakura looked at it, quickly realizing it was not the black one he usually wore. This one was brown and fitted more tightly around his neck. "This is what's making me sick. This doesn't hold back power like the other. This one sucks it out of you."

He sighed again, falling back onto the stone floor. "I couldn't even kill you if I could reach you…"

They sat in silence for a moment, Gaara trying to catch his breath.

"I brought you some food." She whispered again, the sound of her voice making him sit up again instantly. She held out the tray for him and when he didn't take it, she put it on the ground and pushed it towards him.

His eyes never left hers as he hesitantly reached for the food. He ate each bight quickly and forcefully, like he was being starved all while keeping his gaze locked with hers. Seeing the way his dirty and worn clothes hung so loose on his frame, Sakura wouldn't be surprised if he _was _being starved.

All of a sudden he froze, his wide eyes zooming in on her hands. She looked down to see she'd been holding the shocker in her grasp the whole time. "I won't use it," she assured him.

His feral eyes revealed he did not trust her. "I don't want to hurt you." Sakura whispered, inching towards him. Gaara backed away from her advance quickly but she pressed on, reaching out as if to try and touch him. He gripped her wrist in his hand, his fingernails digging into her skin. She winced as the blood poured out and tried to hold back the tears.

"Do _not_ touch me." He stressed. "_Ever." _ She nodded her head, her wide eyes not leaving his. Gaara threw her wrist away from him.

"Why do you hate me, Gaara?" she asked, nursing her bleeding hand.

He huffed again. "Do you even _have _to ask?" He eyed the shocker, still firmly in her other hand.

"But, I've never hurt you."

"But you've _caused_ it all," He snapped back. "If it weren't for _you_ none of this would have happened. I wouldn't be imprisoned."

Sakura began to explain. "I tried to tell them it wasn't what it looked like-"

"Not that you idiot!" He hissed at her. "Walls are walls. They can crumble. But _this,"_ he motioned to himself "Will never go away! Do you have any idea how much it hurts, feeling like you're crawling in your own skin with no way out?" Gaara barked at her.

Sakura was silent for a long time before she answered him. "Yes,"

He snorted, turning his head away from her. "Just get out."

She hung her head low. This wasn't going the way she had planned. "You want to kill me, right?"

"What gave me away?" Gaara mocked her. "Especially after that horrid display on the battlefield. Disgusting…"

She winced at his words, but cleared her throat and continued on regardless. "You want me dead because if I die, you can be free, correct?" He didn't answer her. "I'll set you free then,"

His untamed eyes were black on her, staring her down. "You can't," He hissed at her. "You don't have the power."

"Yes, I do." Sakura came towards him then, ignoring the fact that he stood and backed away from her. She still kept approaching him, reaching forward once again. He gripped her arm, drawing more blood, but Sakura pressed on, fighting against his strength. Even being completely drained of energy, he still managed to resist her. But finally, she won. Sakura's hand gripped one of his arm's shackles, slipping the key Utsute gave her into the lock. It fell to the ground with a clang.

Gaara stopped fighting against her then, instead looking at her like she was insane. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Setting you free, like I said."

He glared at her. "You can never set me free from this body."

"That may be," Sakura started, unlocking his other shackles. "But I can get you out of here, and, in time, out of Suna too."

She looked up to his shocked face, speaking as calmly as she could. "If you try to kill me, you'll be imprisoned here forever, or you'll be killed and sealed right back up in some old ramen cook pot."

"Jar of tea." Gaara corrected her, looking away from her face almost sheepishly. "It was a jar of tea."

"Alright then. Either way, you'll never be free if you kill me. But if you let me help you, I can get you out of this city, you can run away and live the way you want. And when your human body dies, you can then truly be free with no one around to seal you back up again. You can go back to the underworld from which you came. That's what you want, right?"

Gaara looked away from the stone ceiling and back to her eyes. Those bright green eyes that looked at him with such… empathy. Could it be that she really wanted to help him? Or would he just be put in prison again?

"You could never do it. I'll be locked inside this room for the rest of my life."

Sakura shook her head. "I made a deal with the Kazekage. From now on, _I _am the only one with the authority to have you detained. As long as you don't go back on our deal, you'll be a free as I can make you."

Gaara crinkled his brow. "Our deal?"

She smiled at him. "You will protect me and not kill me but rather wait until I myself can set you free."

He frowned at her. "What's the catch?"

Sakura tired not to let her smile widened. "That catch is, you must do one other favor for me."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura woke that morning feeling better than she had in ages. Of course, she had been plagued by nightmares just like almost every other night, but today that didn't matter. Her nightmares and her sleep deprivation met nothing, because today would be the beginning. After that day, she would no longer be useless.

"Hello Sakura-sama!" Jouhin greeted her brightly when she opened the door into her protector's room. Jouhin had flower wall paper and many little trinkets decorating her walls and every surface had glitter or feathers on it. It looked like a cat's paradise. Jouhin sat at her vanity tying her hair up into her signature ponytail.

She got up, her great green cat-eyes staring at her friend. "What, may I ask, is on the agenda for today?"

Sakura smiled. "Don't you have my schedule memorized?"

"Why, yes," Jouhin gave a little twirl. "Today you have brunch with the prime minister from The Land of Water, a meeting with the council, I assume you will watch us train this afternoon, then lunch with Kazekage-sama, Tea with me, and then you must attend a ceremony of some sort. Then, there's a meeting with a citizen, something about the water supply, and then dinner. Quite a light schedule today."

Sakura inwardly sighed. When on earth would she find time to begin her plan? But of course, what did she expect after mourning for so long?

Since she had many public appearances, Sakura put on a white kimono with a few light pink flowers on it and did her hair up in extravagant big curls. When she was finished, her mask was in place. She was a beautiful, delicate princess.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her when she knocked on his door. "What's up? You coming to watch me spare today?"

She smiled to him. "Of course. But I was wondering, I have some time yet before I have to meet the prime minister. Would you mind taking a walk with me through the gardens before it gets too hot?"

His classic foxy grin spread across his face. "I would be honored. " He bowed to her before offering her his arm.

"Hey!" Jouhin caught up to them. "Am I not invited?"

"Sorry, but I could really use some alone time with Naruto. Do you mind?"

The cat-girl pouted, but gave in none the less. "Alright I guess," they all started heading back down the hall. "As long as we're still on for tea."

Sakura smiled. "Oh course."

_Click. _

Jouhin and Naruto went stiffer than boards, their eyes fixating on the person who had just closed the door to Gaara's room. Sakura heard them both gasp, almost gaping at Gaara. He lifted his eyebrow in their direction.

"Gaara!" Jouhin breathed out. "Wha… What are you doing here?"

His arms crossed over his chest as always. "I live here, in case you forgot."

Naruto interjected, his fists clenching. "She means, what the hell are you doing roaming around? Aren't you supposed to be locked in jail, I don't know, forever_?_"

Gaara blinked, un-phased by the rage that seemed to be leaking from Naruto, saturating the air. "I was released." The sand master turned to walk down the hall in the opposite direction they were headed.

"On what grounds?" Naruto hissed.

Gaara paused momentarily before turning back to Naruto with malice in his eyes. Sakura watched him grin mincingly. "Good behavior."

"Naruto, drop it." Sakura held his arm, sensing her friend's contempt. The fox glared once more before turning and waking away quickly, Sakura at his heals.

"Perhaps you should be nicer to him," She suggested as they entered the Palace's gardens.

Naruto snorted. "Not on your life."

She paused dead in her tracks, watching as her friend slowly turned around to face her. "Do you mean that? Do you hate him so much?"

Naruto appeared torn as he ruffled his own hair. "Ugg! You just don't get it. This is Shukaku we're talking about! He's not some hurt little boy you can fix Sakura! He's a _demon!_ A manipulative, cunning, bloodthirsty demon!"

"You are also a demon," she pointed out.

"That may be, but I'm _nothing _like him! I came to this world because I was _forced! _I was pulled from my world against my will, placed upon this strange earth and meant to kill! I didn't _ask_ to be the power of the wind that would pollute this human world with demonic seed. I didn't _want_ to be the taker of so many lives, but I had no choice.

"Shukaku had a choice! He was the first of our kind to answer the sand-prince's plea! The one who agreed to come to this world to take the lives of humans purely because he _wanted _to! He was the damn spark that started all of this! And he dragged the others in our realm to follow, and when he went too far they sealed us all!"

Naruto had paced back and forth many times, eventually coming to stand in front of her, gripping her shoulders. Sakura tried not to wince in pain. The deep gashes Gaara had left the night before were still fresh below the bandages she had used to conceal them.

"_Please, _get it, Sakura. Gaara cannot be trusted."

Sakura stared at Naruto with almost unseeing eyes. Her insides were being thrown into turmoil again, yet she could do nothing about it at the moment. She had to be composed, she had to be the princess, and try not to think about the mysterious red haired man.

"Alright," she breathed calmly.

Naruto blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Alright. I will listen to what you say. Gaara cannot be trusted. Therefore, I will not trust him."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura slipped from her bed that night, while the rest of the palace slumbered on. No one had told her how cold it could get at night, even in the desert… Her long pink nightgown was so thin it was almost see-through; not proper at all for the cold. She compensated with fuzzy slippers that did nothing to warm even her feet.

She tiptoed through her chamber, across the hall and to that dreaded red door, opening it with the utmost care.

"Gaara?" She whispered into the black beyond. Slowly, she stepped into the room.

"I did not say you could come in," A harsh voice hissed at her. She froze, looking all around, unsure of where exactly he had spoken from.

She started shaking. "I- I…"

The curtains covering the wall opposite her flung open with a clamor, bright moonlight streaming in. Only then could she see the red-head, lurking ominously in the corner by his sand fountain. His piercing eyes stared her down. "What is it you want?"

Sakura couldn't find her voice. It was if she was lost in his eyes of hate.

"If you have nothing to say, leave." He turned from her, walking to his small red rug and sitting down on it, gazing out into the starry night.

It took her several minutes to work up the courage to speak as she walked slowly forward into Gaara's labyrinth. "Is it true, you elected to be pulled from the underworld? Just so you could come here and kill?"

The silence around was deafening, until finally Gaara spoke. "You listen too much to what Kyuubi says."

"_Naruto_ is my best friend. I trust him and believe in what he tells me." She said softly.

"Oh?" She was standing next to him now, and the way he looked up at her had shivers running down her spine. "And what else has _Naruto _told you?"

Sakura had to visibly try to keep her breath steady. "He told me you were not to be trusted."

That satanic grin spread lightly over Gaara's lips again. He stood, towering over her, just inches from her face. Sakura might have fled, if her feet hadn't turned to cement again. "So what will you do now Princess? Betray our bargain before I can?"

She closed her eyes to escape the wrath of his gaze. Her very breath shivered as she tried to let it out slowly. "No,"

When Sakura opened her eyes again, she could see the confusion written on his face, especially in the way his right eyebrow lifted slightly. His expression was almost… cute. Then the look was gone, replaced with pure suspicion. "Why?" Gaara demanded.

She took in another shaky breath. "Because, I still need something from you, and, whether you like it or not, you still need something from me."

He glared at her, as if challenging her. Then he smirked again. "I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at, but I'll play along."

Sakura blinked, surprised as he quickly moved away from her, standing to overlook his view of the desert.

"And you're sure about this? You want to be trained as a shinobi?"

She swallowed hard. "I don't want to be useless anymore."

He gave a stiff nod, not looking at her. His gaze was still fixed on the desert. "After sunset," He commanded, pointing at a speck in the scenery. "up by that cliff. Be there if you wish to start your training."

Sakura's eyes would have lit up if it wasn't for the menacing look he threw back at her and his bone-chilling words. "I do so _love_ to play with my prey first."

END

BAHAHAHAA! ^_^ that's right countless people who complained Sakura was too weak. She's gonna be doing some ninja training. ^_^ I be having fun with this. I wonder what's gonna happen next...? :O

Next update: Mar: 21st. That's only 10 days. Be happy.


	14. Chapter 13: The Test

Hey, I'm on time. :P An interesting concept... Short-ish chapter, sorry. Hope you guys like it anyway.

Chapter 13

The Test

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura stared down into her cup of green tea, watching the frown line of her reflection ripple.

"His Majesty, the prince of The Land of Lightning, is more than pleased to offer assistance," The prime minister spoke in his deep voice. His bloated stomach shook along with his words and booming laugh.

"We are so happy he has agreed." The Kazekage smiled, almost sickly, sipping his tea.

The prime minister laughed again. "Of course. After all, we _are_ both allies of The Land of Fire. It only makes since that we would help, especially if this beautiful young flower will one day be the savior of us all." He smiled at Sakura, his long, thin black mustache curving upward slightly.

"We are also honored that His Majesty will be permitted to court you, Your Highness." He kept on smiling. "To be allowed to marry into Suna royalty, it is more than our little county could ever hope for. We will make great allies one day."

"_Might,_" The Kazekage stressed. "As I mentioned, nothing is a done-deal. The council and I must consider all the possibilities and decide what will be best for our country, and, of course, our princess."

Sakura smiled and nodded in their direction, only half-paying attention. Dinner had ended, and soon the dusk tea ceremony would be over, just as the sun was ducking down. Even now she could see the sky be painted red and burgundy, gold shimmering against the whips of clouds.

"Well, I really must be going," The prime minister groaned, struggling to get out of his kneeling position and rise to his feet. Sakura and the Kazekage followed his lead.

He bowed to them both and they bowed back. "Your Highness, thank you so much for the tea. It was delicious."

She smiled sweetly at him. "No trouble at all, Prime Minister. I find I have grown quite found of our little chats together, and, it puts me at great ease to know you and your country will help me in supporting my own."

He bowed to her again. "It is my honor, Your Majesty."

They parted ways then, the prime minister heading back into the palace to the private quarters loaned to him.

"Shall we?" The Kazekage smiled at her.

She took his arm, trying to appear calm though on the inside she was about ready to explode. "We shall, Zurui-san."

"The council and I wish to meet this evening, if you permit."

Sakura bit her lip. "What matter do you wish to discuss?"

"The Caravan roots have been exceptionally dangerous lately, as you can imagine. We need to devise a plan to protect them or risk losing our window to our city's supplies."

She continued to chew on her bottom lip. "Exactly how pressing is the matter? Could it possibly wait until morning?"

"Does Your Majesty have a prior engagement?" He lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh! N-No! I… I was just feeling unwell."

The Kazekage frowned. "Are you sick, Sakura-sama? I can call for a doctor immediately."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," She forced a smile. "I just find myself in need of rest."

"Alright then," His face still looked concerned. "I shall call for you in the morning."

"Very well then. I shall retire now and see you then." She gave him a slight bow as he bowed deeply back at her.

"Until tomorrow."

"Yes," Sakura replied, taking a different route into the heart of the palace, leaving the Kazekage behind.

Dodging the Kazekage, Jouhin and Naruto, was the easy part. In her room, the real problems started. She had no idea how she was going to pull off dressing appropriately for ninja training. With no shorts or shirts of any kind, she began to mull over the possibly of practicing in a kimono. The mental images were not very encouraging.

She groaned, throwing herself backwards onto her bed in despair. Her head knocked against something soft, wrapped in paper. Sitting up, she turned her eye onto the strange package on her bed, cloaked in a brown paper bag.

It was from Gaara; that she discovered when the package fell open into her lap. Her new black gear stared back at her, waiting to be worn.

They were long black pants and a matching top, not unflattering, but most definitely gender neutral. It even came with a black headdress and veil, she suspected to hide her face as she ran from the palace.

Slipping on the black fabric shoes, hand guards and shurikan holster, the sand village headband was the last item she put on, tying around her neck.

She slipped down the halls as quietly as possible, making it all the way to the main hall before she ran into company. But it was just a guard who nodded in her direction, as if she was just another shinobi. Self-consciously, she felt her hair up in the headdress, making sure not a strand had escaped her bun. All it would take is one shimmer of pink to give her away.

Sakura took it back. Avoiding the people who would want to talk to her wasn't the hard part. And sneaking out wasn't hard at all thanks to the clothes Gaara had left on her bed.

Actually _getting_ to the training site was what killed her. The sun had dipped below the horizon just as she made her way out into the back gardens of the palace. She was supposed to meet up with Gaara right afterwards. But it was completely dark by the time she got close to where she was supposed to be.

Behind the palace, past the gardens and the training grounds, the great mountain jetted up into the sky, its peeks splitting the stars. Just trying to find a place to scale it was hard, let alone going through the task of actually _climbing_ it.

Her palms went raw beneath her gloves, her arms beginning to ache before she even managed to get half way up the cliff's face. Her whole body hut and her breathing spattered out of control. She couldn't believe it! She hadn't even _started_ her training and she was already dying!

It took her almost an hour to reach the top of the cliff, all the while as she mentally beat herself up. Gaara was going to kill her for being so late! _Literally!_ She was as good as dead.

At the top of the cliff she could tell the sun had long been gone from its other side, the black night covering everything she could see, from the rest of the cliffs to the flat desert she knew must have laid beyond.

Climbing around and over the rocks, she treaded on. Her feet, wrapped delicately in her cloth-shoes, got sore and cut rapidly as she wandered through the rock jungle, looking for Gaara.

He had said on top of the cliff! How far did he mean for her to go? She had practically walked the whole length of the mountain! And still no Gaara! Had he left already? Had he grown too tired of waiting for her?

"You're late."

"Ahh!" She jumped, almost falling over onto the rock-ground. Gaara stood directly behind her, his strong arms crossed over his chest as always. He glared at her.

"S-sorry," She gasped, her hand still at her fast-beating heart, trying to calm it.

He did not reply, he simply walked forward, past her and off further across the mountain top. Sakura trailed behind him meekly.

"Um… how far are we going?"

He didn't respond.

"Gaara?"

"Until we can no longer see the lights of Suna." He hissed at her, his eyes never wavering from watching the terrain in front of him.

"Oh…" Sakura looked behind her into the blackness. The faint glow of the city below the mountain's face was hardly visible.

They stopped finally at a place where the cliff's top flattened. It was like a giant, flat, stone circle, lined with a rim of jagged rocks. One side of the circle, past the rocky outline, fell off into oblivion. Sakura peaked over the edge, seeing the black desert beyond her, flat, sandy, and lifeless. Squinting through the gloom, she could see that to the left there seemed to be something wrong with that flat ground. It looked like it was riddled with cracks, but she couldn't be too sure. It was dark after all.

"Ok…" Sakura, huffed, still quiet exhausted just by the journey to her training field. "What now?"

"Training, of course." Gaara huffed, walking back to a rock lining the circle and settling himself on top of it. The straps tying his gourd to his back were loosened and the great sand weapon dropped to sit by his feet. Gaara crossed his arms over his chest. "Begin."

"Ua…" Sakura twirled her foot around on the rock's hard surface. "Wha… what do I do exactly?"

Gaara's gourd burst, his sand spreading all over the training circle, covering it a foot deep. Sakura couldn't imagine there was actually that much sand within his gourd.

"Run." He commanded. She hesitated, staring at him dumbly. His eyes hardened. "Run!"

Sakura jumped, and before she knew it, she was running around the wide circle. Her breathing quickly got into a steady rhythm of huffing as she jogged. The sand was in-between her toes in no time, slowing her pace. She worked harder to gain it back.

"Ha… How long… do I need… to keep this… up?" Sakura panted.

Gaara didn't answer. He sat perfectly still atop his rock, eyes closed. Every time she passed by him she could tell his breathing was in rhythm with her own and the striking of her feet against the sand. With no answer, Sakura continued to run. And didn't stop.

Her sides burned, the sweat pouring off her face. The sand between her toes had eaten away at her skin, and now her blood leaked through. She could retrace her bloody footsteps around in the circle.

Her hands too were raw and bloody, from the number of times she'd fallen onto the rough grains. It was so hard to keep her footing is such loose earth.

But she didn't complain. Not when the blood started, or when she was so tired she couldn't move anymore without her mind forcefully pushing her on. Not when she began to cry because it hurt so much. She ran on throughout the night, until the stares began to fade against the blackness. Then she collapsed.

When she woke again, she was in her bed, still wearing her training gear and covered in dust. And she couldn't move.

Sakura felt every bone in her body ach, every fiber of her being burning. But when she heard the knock at her door, she knew her exhausted body would not get a chance to rest.

"Sakura-sama," Jouhin called through the door. "The Kazakage is expecting you for breakfast. You must get ready."

She tried to make her voice not sound strained. "A-alright. Give me a few minutes."

Sakura failed. Jouhin could tell. "Sakura-sama, are you alright? You sound horrible! Would you like me to assist you?"

"I'm fine," She stressed. "Just give me a moment." Sakura heard her friend move away from her door slowly.

She stripped out of her training clothes, hiding them under her bed among her ninja things. Then she bathed quickly, trying not to cry when her tattered feet and hands met the water.

Thank god she was a medic, because Sakura most definitely needed her skills to help her heal. She closed up her wounds and healed the skin, trying all the while to conserve her energy. She still felt like she was running on empty.

The whole day she was next to useless. Her body and mind were so completely drained that she hardly spoke or moved at all. Sakura just sat there in the conference room, listening to the men and Kazekage bicker back and forth. It took almost the whole day to resolve the matters as hand, and afterwards she collapsed.

No one questioned it. She simply disappeared into her room and slept until the setting sun finally woke her.

And then it was back to her training grounds.

Though she now knew the way, it took her almost as long as last time with her ailing body. But she made it, and Gaara was waiting, stilling on his rock with his eyes closed. The sand was already in place.

"Begin," He told her, not opening his eyes.

Sakura bit back a sigh, moving to run around in the circle again, this time in the opposite direction as yesterday. Her blisters screamed at her the whole time. But she kept going.

She expected him to work her just as he had the other day. She's be forced to run and run until she finally passed out near dawn. But Gaara surprised her yet again.

"Stop,"

She collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. Looking up, she could see the stares still bright. It was probably only around midnight. He stood, the sand collecting at his feet and forming his gourd.

"Wait," She gasped as Gaara began to walk away. When he looked back at him she met his gaze with pleading eyes.

"Why?" whispered Sakura.

He practically sneered at her, but that was nothing new. Then he turned and kept walking away. She was about to call out to him again, pleading for an answer, but Gaara spoke again before she could.

"I will not take on a student unless I know their dedication is true." And then he walked away into the night.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura staggered back towards home, trying to trace the path Gaara had taken upon leaving, but it was impossible. After only a few dozen steps, the light scuff marks his shoes left behind disappeared.

There was no explaining it and Sakura was too tired to really care. However, walking back along the palace's training grounds, and seeing him broken out in a sweat from training was nerve-racking. How had he returned so fast?

In her room, on her bed, he'd left a note. How much farther ahead of her had he been? It was nothing personal or touching and did not bare a hint that it had even been from him. It's content was the only clue: a schedule of training times. Every evening after dinner until nine at night. After the last two days, she was sure she could handle that.

She was so tired that she passed out, just like the night before; dead to the world. Her body shut down, her senses died and she slept. So deep was her slumber that she didn't even stir when the door to her quarters opened and a person shrouded in darkness crept towards the edge of her bed. A pair of eyes glowed through the night, centering in on her peaceful sleeping face.

_I could take care of it all right here. Right now… but no. This is my glory, but if my own hands are bloodied in the process, no one here will ever trust me again. Can't have that, can we? Stick to the plan. There's a reason we came up with one… But I must say, Princess, being so helpless here like this is oh so tempting…_

_END_

__Things are getting stranger and stranger. 0_o Next update: 4/1/12 Review please because they help me write more and you guys are gonna just love where these next few chapters are gonna go! :D


	15. Chapter 14: The Truth

AHHHH! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY I'M LATE! I ended up getting sick a few weeks ago and have been playing catch up ever since. Sorry I couldn't get to this sooner, and REALLY sorry it's not very long. I scrapped this chapter at least a dozen times, so I ended up having to re-write everything from scratch, which took a lot longer than i was expecting. So please enjoy and I'll try and make it up to you guys! .

P.S. 101 Reviews 0_o SO. Happy. right Now.

Chapter 14

The Truth

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Who does that pretentious man think he is? Honestly! Amegakure is the sister-lad to The Land of Lightning! And that damn fool had the balls to suggest we not help them! The indecency of it!" The Kazekage seethed.

Sakura turned her head from him, watching the prime minister of the Land of Lightning stomp down the palace steps, on his way back to his country.

"You'd think he'd give a better excuse other than 'well, their crown prince is a little… eccentric'. Selfish brute! As if making the crown prince look bad would help his country's prince get an upper hand at being considered for marriage to you, Princess. The monstrosity of it! The Land of Lightning will no longer be considered, and we _will _assist Amegakure in their endeavors. Their prime minister should be arriving within the month, and then we shall discuss helping them further."

Sakura sighed, as if she had any say in things… Months had been put into negotiations with the Land of Lightning, all to have them thrown away after one bad meeting.

"I'm so sorry, Princess. This all must be so stressful on you. Perhaps you should retire early from today's endeavors?"

"That sounds reasonable," She muttered, looking to the sun. It seemed she would be finishing 'work' a whole… perhaps half an hour, _past_ when she was supposed to.

"And will you be joining the council for dinner?"

Sakura fake yawned, trying not to think about how late she was already. "No thank you. I'm feeling quite tired this afternoon. I think I'll simply retire to my room."

The Kazekage frowned. "It's not healthy for you not to eat."

"I'll pick up something from the kitchen on my way." She turned, shuffling away in her kimono as fast as possible.

"No need. I'll send someone up to your room-"

"That won't me nessesary. Thanks anyway Zurui." She waved behind her, leaving him alone and bewildered on the balcony.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Gaara peeked at the sun with one eye. Late. _Again. _He breathed deeply, attempting to find his center in meditation. Noisy footsteps kept him from peace.

"You're late." He grumbled, not turning around to look at her.

"I know and I'm sorry. Something came up with the prime minister of The Land of Lightning."

"Remind me why I continue to honor this ridiculous agreement instead of simply killing you?"

She smiled, moving in front of him as he opened his eye again to look at her. "Because I brought you a binto box."

His eyes narrowed at the meal, but Gaara snatched it away regardless. Sakura set her own box on the ground next to him and moved away to commence her warm up.

Gaara stopped her. "Not today. Today, you will eat, and then join me in meditation. A shinobi must be balanced to avoid stomping around as loudly as you."

She blushed as she sat down next to him. "Was I really that loud?"

"I heard you coming up to a kilometer away."

"You're exaggerating."

"Am I?"

Sakura blushed deeper, moving to open her box. They ate in silence, looking out over the desert below and beyond their ridge as the sun sunk lower in the sky. The desert lit up with five shades of fire dancing over the sand. The bruised and bloody sky cried gold onto the grains.

"It's so stunning…"

Sakura choked on her sushi role, going into a coughing fit. "You did _not _just say that."

Gaara looked at her. "Why wouldn't I? When preparing for meditation, one must be well aware of their surroundings."

Sakura frowned. "Well, yeah, but… but _you _would never say something like that. So that means…" She pulled out a kunai, striking fast and precisely at the jugular. A wall of sand stopped her, incasing her knife and fist in a solid grip.

Gaara's eyes flared. "And what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Sakura looked bewildered. "I… I thought this was a test."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Just because I'm a demon doesn't mean I can't appreciate beauty." He slowly loosened his sand's grip on her and watched as she sheathed her weapon, with a look far passed embarrassed.

"I'm sorry." Her voice seemed so small, pouring pointlessly into the empty space around her.

She had been training with him for several months, seen how he acted towards her, and others, and who could forget the shaky start of her first week in Suna? The countless attempts on her life, the death threats and verbal abuse he's posed upon her. Everything she'd heard second-hand from others, and she still knew nothing about her teacher and protector.

He didn't accept her apology. Instead, Gaara set down his empty box and proceeded to commence his meditation, closing his eyes to her and the sunset before them. They opened moments later when she began to speak again.

"In Konoha we don't get sunsets like this. Actually, the sky looks kind of green in the evenings, but after being here for so long, I miss the green a lot. Especially the trees. Naruto and I would always go climb them when we were smaller and see who could get higher up. He always would freak out and think I was going to fall. He liked it better when we went swimming. That way, he didn't have to worry about me quite as much. But when it was too cold to go swimming we'd-"

"Stop!"

Sakura was startled back into the real world.

Gaara gritted his teeth. "Just… Stop." He looked to her, confused. "Meditation is silent, so explain to me why you're talking."

She bit her lip. "I just thought… maybe you'd like to know a little bit about me."

He stared at her for a moment making Sakura blush further. "… And people question _my _sanity."

She felt her feelings become crushed and her eyes well up with hot tears. Honestly, she preferred him frequently trying to kill her rather than existing every day to bring sorrow and pain to her life. She looked back to the sunset, watching the colors dance and attempting to meditate, just as her ass of a teacher was doing.

Gaara gritted his teeth. He felt like biting off his tongue to stop himself, but he couldn't. Or, he didn't want to. She'd kept his secrets before and even lied to help him. Did that then consummate her loyalty? Probably not, but still those streaming wet tears…

"I can't swim."

Sakura snapped from landscape back to teacher. "What?"

"I can't swim." Gaara repeated. "Never have, never will."

Sakura didn't know what to say as a million thoughts raced through her mind. He was opening up. Why? Because she had? Became he wanted to? Because he knew she wanted him to? But above all, one question stood out.

"How on earth do you not know how to swim?"

Gaara turned his head away from her. _I knew I shouldn't have said anything._

Sakura bit her lip. "I'm sorry. It's just… I've never known anyone who couldn't swim."

"This is a desert." He whispered. "Many people here cannot."

"Yeah, but I bet those people have lived here their whole life."

"As have I."

Sakura's mouth hung open again. "But… hasn't Shukaku been on this earth for… I don't know… _centuries? _And in all that time, you never left Suna?"

"Well, once I was improzioned, I didn't have much of a chose, now did I?" He barked at her. Did she know she was opening up old wounds?

"What about... you know? In the underworld? Did you swim there?"

Gaara's breath caught in his throat. His fists clenched tightly around his knees.

"Sorry," Sakura murmured, "I- I didn't mean to upset you…"

"No," He breathed out, obviously trying to control himself. "It's fine. Just, not even Jouhin- No one has mentioned that place to me in a very long time."

A silence engulfed the two. The reds of the sunset deepened. Finally Sakura asked "What was it like?"

"Perfection."

Gaara looked her right in the eye, but not with malice, like normally but with… remembrance? Sakura could not place his emotions.

He went on. "When humans think of the underworld, they think of horror, death, darkness, fire, and so on. A grueling and inhospitable place. Hell. And to mortals, that's exactly what it is. But to demons… It was everything we could ever want.

"We were suspended there, each separate, yet, somehow connected. We lived as you mortals do. Some were more powerful, others less. We interacted, talked, lounged, and went about our endless lives, existing only to balance out your world.

"There, we were not demons. It is only in this world, away from our own of balanced tranquility, where the hatred and bloodlust arises. Some have tamed it by finding that peace here. Others… well… They don't let go."

Sakura frowned.

"It's hard to imagin, I know." He said.

"No, no it's not that." Her frown deepened. "I just… don't understand. If the underworld was so perfect, to you at least… then, why on earth did you come here? I know you were called by the princes of old, but why didn't you just stay there? Why, if you were so peaceful there, did you come to kill humans and-"

"Stop!" Gaara stood up, towering over her. His eyes were once again on fire. "Where did you here that?"

She blinked, shocked and frozen into place with fear. "Konoha's king told me the fable of the princes' and Jouhin said-"

"No! that is _not_ what happened!" He spat at her.

Gaara stood there, breathing heavily and trying to calm himself for several moments before he eventually sat back down. His eyes had dulled, but his fists were still clenched tight.

"What exactly where you told?" he whispered.

Sakura spoke slowly and precisely.

"It was said that hundreds of years ago, two brothers, the princes of The Land of Wind, raged a great civil war to decide who would take the thrown. One of then called forth the demons from the underworld to help him.

"Jouhin told me you were the demon who answered them and opened the rift between the worlds so that you, and others, could come and kill. You betrayed the prince who asked for your help in the first place, and then hunted down and sealed away by both of the princes.

"It was said that the power of the original demons was so great that it leaked out into the world and polluted it, creating the lesser demons of today. That's all I know."

Gaara continued to breathe deeply, the he spoke. "I don't expect you to believe me when I say this, but you are wrong."

Sakura nodded slowly, careful not to show any bias in her face. "Then what did happen?"

Gaara sighed. "This is what I know to be true. True demons were born from the hatred of this world, but, while incased in the underworld, we were more than that. We felt anger, sadness, hope, love, joy, jealousy. We were just like you, living out our existence freely.

"But… just as humans are flawed, so were we. In our own world, we were all gods in our own right, but some were mightier than others. Kyuubi and I were among some of the most powerful there. But there were others. One was named Ritsu and she was…"

He paused, looking pained. "Ritsu became consumed with jealousy towards demons like Kyuubi and I, who rivaled her power, and, looking to the mortal world, saw the solution. She would become the supreme ruler of the underworld by… eliminating the competition.

"She planted the jealously in the younger prince. She came to him in dreams and showed him how to open the door to our world. And then, she forced us here.

"The anger we held towards her. A mere mortal prince attempting to control us. Being torn from our home and everything that gave us purpose, and being confronted by hatred that created us. War avenged this world."

Gaara turned to her, looking her hard in the eye. "I was the first to be cast out from the underworld, but obviously not the last. And most certainly, though I was the hatred that stared the destruction of this world, I did _not _choose to be."

He looked away again. "Now you know the truth. Let us not speak of it again."

Sakura sat stunned, opened her mouth, closed it, and repeated several times, unable to find the right words.

Finally, she whispered, "You've been here ever since, haven't you?" A stiff nod was her reply. She smiled weakly at him "Guess I'll just have to take you somewhere you can learn how to swim, one of these days."

Gaara turned towards her as she continued. "This place is so beautiful… but you've still gotta get out and see other parts of the world. I mean, if this is all you've ever looked at your whole life."

He looked back to the last rays of light being cast by the sliver of sun that had yet to sink below the horizon. "I've seen other landscapes. This land used to be all flat desert, you know. It didn't always look like this." He spoke of the land he had called his home for so long.

"Really?"

"This mountain arose when the rift was opened. I was flung out into the sand, skidding across and forming that great sand dune beyond the city. I'm sure you've heard rumors I used it as a burial tomb for the people I've killed. That's not entirely false."

She cringed. "That must have been very... painful."

"And that canyon…" He looked to the desert below and to the jagged scar in the earth, meeting at one point and diverging into nine separate mutilations. "That is where Kyuubi raged when he was first brought here."

END

Yes, short. I is sorry, but there was really no more to say between these two at the moment.

Review please! 0_o I'm thinking... May... first? How's that for the next chapter? Good? Good, because that's when I'll have time to get it up. I'll try for a longer chapter.


	16. Chapter 15: Student and Teacher

I have absolutely no motivation to continue this story at this point. . Long chapter though. REVIEW!

Chapter 15

Student and Teacher

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Gaara glared hard, not necessarily at her, but just because he felt like doing so. Something was wrong with him.

At first, it had just been for fun. Just to work her to death until he got bored. Then he could kill her. It would be the perfect opportunity, out in the middle of nowhere. Then he could run. Then he could be free.

So what about the collar? He could find a way to get it off once he was out of the desert or just travel so far, that they couldn't track him. He didn't need her to be there for him, to try and save him. He didn't need to barter for his life by sparing hers.

But then why had he not killed her yet?

He had had plenty of opportunities. Naruto was absorbed in work, and Jouhin had been preparing for a long mission to Amegakure. He was the only one left to protect her. He guarded her almost twenty four hours a day, followed her in her shadow unless he was commanded to leave. Left her only to perform his other duties. And he hated it all! Spending so much time with her was making him crazy! Yet still, he hadn't killed her!

"One, two, one two, one, two! Gaara-sensei!"

His fists clenched. She was _so_ pushing it. She knew he hated it when she called him that. It was like she was practically _trying_ to get herself killed. His glare met her eyes.

"When are we going to start doing something more exciting? This is _boring._" She complained. "One, two, one, two!"

Gaara watched her perform two more sit-ups. As much as it irked him, he had to admit her condition had improved, all because of her damn determination. Her stamina was pathetic before. Now, she could probably fight for hours without tiring. Sakura's strength was much better as well and, with continued lessons, she'd most likely become a half-decent shinobi…

Gaara mentally hit himself. _Why?_ Why did he care? Why was he even contemplating what would happen in the future when she wasn't going to have one?

"Gaara-sensei!" She repeated when he didn't answer her.

"_Don't_ can me that." He spat at her, glaring daggers at her once again.

"But you're my Sensei, Gaara-sensei."

His fist clenched. Now she was just teasing him.

_"Do not call me that!"_

"You said so yourself, I'm your student. That means I _have_ to call you Sensei in order to be respectful, Gaara-seinsei." She stood up, batting her eyelashes.

Fuck it. He was going to kill her.

The old Sakura wouldn't have been able to respond before he moved. Now, she sprinted away from him, out of the reach of his tendrils of sand, throwing a kunai at it. She missed, but just barely. And then she was in a defensive position but it was not enough to protect her from the sand surrounding her, bleeding from the rocks on the ground.

It encircled her, submerging her entire being and holding her firmly in place. Sakura shivered, feeling those coarse grains everywhere. On her arms, sliding under her shirt, shifting between her legs. Sakura gasped as the sand constricted, and then Gaara was before her. With him looking at her like that, it was like her very soul was being squeezed out of her body and was spilling onto the floor.

His husky voice whispered right in her ear. "You will not call me that again."

"Y-yes." There was something about him being so close to her that filled her with fear to the point where it overflowed past her tongue into shaky words.

And then every aspect of him had disappeared from in front of her. His face, his eyes, every last one of his grains of sand, and his smell, that warm, airy sent of wet sand. Sakura couldn't stop her body from withering to the ground.

"Continue," Gaara spoke from behind her, seated atop his flat rock.

She swallowed hard, avoiding looking back at him as she settled herself on the hard ground.

"Wa.. one, t-two, one, two." She continued. Sakura watched the sun traveling across the azure sky to find the time. She only had a little piece of time during the day to sneak away, train, and return to carry out her Princess duties before going back to train in the evening. The heat beat down sending waves of it across the desert.

Then the sun signaled it was time to go, though Gaara was just as good of an alarm, getting up with his gourd and beginning back as soon as it was time.

"Tonight. Regular time." He murmured as they walked back together, always careful to keep a lengthy distance between them.

"Alright." Her head hung low for his eyes were something she couldn't meet. Not today. Not after she had angered him so.

"If you perform well we shall start sparing and weapons training tomorrow."

Sakura felt shell shocked so much so that she chanced a glance back up at his angry face, only to look away quickly. After all, one look was all it took to set him off. "Y-yes."

It was only with Gaara's help that she was able to get away for that precious hour during the day to continue her training. With his amazing sand he was able to teleport them back into the heart of the palace right outside her chamber door. With such a talent, she was never caught.

And then for the rest of the day she was to be a Princess again. Parties, meetings, paperwork, and other matters of importance. They filled her day to the brim, taking away the rest of her strength training did not already claim. And now, her friends weren't even around to provide relief.

Naruto was constantly busy, training and working like he had never done before, kept so busy by the Kazekage that they hardly ever spoke anymore. But, Sakura supposed she shouldn't have complained. After all, if her other two protectors were watching her every move, she would not be able to train.

Jouhin had left the week before, called away to Amegakure as part of the new treaty reached between their lands and would be away for the next month, helping the country with its recent demonic infestation.

"Your Highness,"

Sakura turned to see one of the ministers at the other end of the hall just as she had emerged in her beautiful light blue kimono.

"Yes?" She questioned him, turning down the hall and walking towards him.

"Your presence is requested in the tea ceremony room. Your guest from the Village Hidden in the Rain has arrived." He bowed to her.

"Yes, of course." Princess matters. How she grew bored with them. And of course the Kazekage as well. He too was a constant annoyance as of late.

"Princess," He called to her as she reached the door to the tea ceremony room. "So glad you could join us." His lips pursed together. Had she really been that late?

"Relax Zurui, I'm here now." She took his arms with a forced smile and allowed him to guide her into the room. And then her heart stopped.

Her guest, seated regally on the floor in front of her smiled, tossing his raven-black hair back slightly so that his dark eyes could clash with hers.

"Princess Sakura Akari, of the Land of Wind, I am pleased to present to you The Prime Minister of Amegakure, Prince Sanen Otsute."

Prince Sanen? But… he couldn't be. Not when he looked so similar to another person she had thought of frequently since his death. His hair was in a different style and his skin was lighter, but still…

_Sasuke… _

The prince bowed low to her. "I am very honored to meet you, Princess Sakura."

Sakura swallowed hard. He even sounded like Sasuke… "The p-pleasure is all mine, Prince Sanen." With a little curtsy, she sat down.

"I was sent here by my older brother, the Crown Prince of our land, to personally thank you for your assistance with the demons." He explained to her as Zurui sat down at Sakura's side.

She smiled at him, trying to get over his face. They looked so much alike… "Really, it is no trouble at all. It is only proper that we help each other in times of need, with our new alliance in the works."

He grinned back, using the same smirk Sasuke did. "Yes, of course. I am only grateful that our distance cousins in The Land of Lightning were foolish enough to wane from your favor. Otherwise, our country would be overrun by now."

"Your cousin?"

Zurui interjected. "The Crown Prince of The Land of Lightning and that of Amegakure are related cousins by blood."

Sakura blinked. "Oh,"

Zurui smirked. "Even without your cousins showing such a disloyalty towards their own family, we would have been happy to assist. I am correct to assume that our back up as arrived?"

"Yes. I received a letter from the crown Prince just yesterday, during my journey that your ninja has arrived. Jouhin was it? Her help is greatly appreciated." The prince said.

"You're quite welcome."

Sanen continued. "And of course, upon Jouhin's success and return, we are quite honored that you will take the Crown Prince's proposal of marriage into consideration.

Sakura blushed deeply, looking down again.

"Yes, well, nothing has been settled as of now. It is still quite plausible that she will marry within our own country's royalty." Sakura could have smacked the Kazekage. Unfortunately, it was probably against the rules…

Yet, Sanen did not cease smirking. "I will still hope that one day I will have the pleasure of calling Sakura-sama apart of my family."

Sakura felt the Kazekage's temper spike up again. "So, Your Majesty, how long do you intend to stay with us?"

"Actually," the young prince went on. "To answer your question, I must first ask one of my own and receive an answer. I have not only come to offer you my family's thanks, but also to extend an invitation to Your Majesty. It would be a great honor if you would grace our small country with a visit."

"That is very kind of you, but as you know, the Princess is in grave danger even here within our city's walls. The demons of the world wish her dead. A journey at this time would only grant them opportunity. But perhaps after the prophecy has been fulfilled…"

"I would be greatly honored to visit your village." Sakura interjected, causing the Kazekage's mouth to drop. "However, I would have to warn you, my presence may cause your villages' great harm, for the Kazekage is correct. All demons wish me dead."

"But you see, Amegakure is at this moment constructing a barrier around itself, one that will keep all demons out. After it is completed, the village would be perfectly safe from harm and the perfect place to meet with His Majesty, the Crown Prince.

"A barrier? I did not know such a thing existed." She mused.

"It does. However, I am not permitted to know of it. It is my brother's project. I do know, however, it is because of the protector you so graciously lent to us that its construction can begin."

"Well then, if you are sure your village would be safe with me there, I would be honored to visit at the earliest convenient time."

The Kazekage protested. "But… But Sakura-sama-"

"My decision is made Zurui. I will visit the Village hidden in the Rain." Her eyes were hard, staring him down. She was not the soft girl she once was before Sasuke's death. "Sanen, when will this barrier be ready?"

"Two months, your highness."

"Then I shall visit as soon as it is completed."

He smiled. "Now, to answer your question Kazekage, as you know, in exchange for your protector's services, we are honored to offer you assistance. In addition to being a price and the acting prime minister, I am also an avid medical ninja. I am here to offer my assistance in that field and also to teach and be taught by Princess Sakura. It would be an honor to receive lessons in your medical tecniques."

"Lessons?" Sakura herself questioned.

"Yes," Sanen smirked. "I would be forever in your debt if I could train under you as your student until we depart for Amegakure. And of course, I would be very happy to show you my village's medical techniques as well."

"This… this is preposterous!" Zurui argued.

"Sanen," Sakura smiled at him. "I would consider it a privilege to teach you."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"It is kind of you to personally show me around, Sakura-sama."

"Please, Prince Sanen, call me Sakura. There really is no need for formality when we are both of royal blood." She almost blushed.

"As you wish, as long as you call me Sanen, then." He gave her that little teasing glint in his eyes as they continued to walk along the shaded balcony. The sun overhead still beat down hot and unforgiving, but at least there was some relief in the shade. Sakura, at least, wasn't completely sweating through her kimono.

Sanen seemed to be having a worse time of it. "My goodness! Is it always this hot?" He fanned himself with his hand and with the other tugged at the collar of his fancy silk shirt.

Sakura twirled her little pink umbrella, smiling slightly. "You should have been here a month ago. It was much hotter than compared to now. Now, they tell me it is actually cooling down. Don't worry though; you get used to it eventually."

He chuckled mischievously, tossing his raven-black hair again. "I have lived in a land where it has never ceased to rain since I was born. But perhaps you are right. Perhaps I will grow used to it. You seem to have. You were raised in Konoha, but I see that you have taken quite a liking to the desert."

Sakura's eyes seemed to lose a bit of luster at the mention of her old home. She suddenly didn't think the glistening sand wall, the high rock cliffs, and the sparkling sand dunes beyond so beautiful anymore.

The Prince seemed to be like Sasuke in more than just appearance. He picked up on her change in mood just as quickly as her old teammate would have. "Do you miss it there? In Konoha?"

She smiled out at the desert beyond, leaning on the wooden railing of the balcony. "Of course I do." Sakura sighed, letting her mask slip, just once, for this young man who reminded her so much of Sasuke. "I miss the trees, and the cool air, and the river and streams. I miss my old family, my old house, my old _life._ I miss the people; my friends and comrades I was forced to leave behind. And I miss… how things used to be…" She looked back at Sanen, standing there with his black eyes. "Do you… think this selfish of me?"

He looked away from her and to the garden and training ground below the palace. "I was born to royalty, as you were, but never experienced living without it. I could not image the 'normal' life you left behind, but, I do not think you selfish. If I had lost all you had, I would miss it as well."

She smiled at him. "You know, you remind me of one of my old friends, from Konoha."

"Oh really?" He gave her that sexy grin.

"Yes. You're just as wise as him, with the same since of humor. You two even look alike."

"And you left this friend in Konoha?" he asked her.

And Sakura's face fell.

_She could feel his heart begin to slow drastically. _

_"Sa… ku…ra…"_

_She screamed out in the instant his hand slipped from her face and the glimmer in his half shut eyes faded. _

_"Sasuke!"_

_"Sasuke!"_

The tears started to flow down her face before she could stop them. The first thing she thought was how embarrassing, crying in front of a prince and her new student, but then when she looked back at him all she could see was Sasuke again and the tears cascaded over.

His face fell in empathy. "Sakura, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you-" He reached out to touch her shoulder, to comfort her only to be blocked by a wall of rustling sand.

Sanen jumped back, smirking slightly. "So you're the one who has been watching us? I was wondering when you were going to show yourself."

The sand wall shifted, coming together to form the shape of a man before it evaporated all together, revealing the shinobi within. Gaara stared the prince down, feeling the sand in his gourd shifting violently. It wanted to protect her. Protect her from _him_ because he had been audacious enough to me her cry.

And so, he let the sand leak out, letting it surround the prince like a cat cornering its prey, preparing to strike.

"Gaara no! It's alright. He didn't mean any harm." Sakura had recovered herself, whipping the tears from her cheeks and moving into the path of the sand ninja, blocking his path to the prince and stepping into his line of vision.

Gaara glared down at her. "He hurt you." _Only I am allowed to make you suffer! No one else! I will not stand for anyone other than myself being allowed to cause you pain! _

"Gaara, it was nothing." She looked away from his harsh face and whipped the rest of her tears from her face. "Please, just leave us alone, will you?"

He could feel the growl threatening in his throat but suppressed it. Things had been going well lately. He had gone so long without an incident and he could tell if he screwed up now, Sakura would not have the power to help him again.

So, stubbornly, fists clenched, jaw tightened, Gaara withdrew, letting his sand draw back into his gourd. He took a step back from the couple, his burning eyes locking with Sanen's. "_Do not_ make me interfere again." And then he was gone in another cloud of sand, but neither Sakura nor the prince was fooled. He was still watching, just as he was before she began to cry.

"Scary guy," Sanen murmured, moving to stand behind Sakura. "Is he always like that?"

"Gaara is… well… Gaara. It takes a while to get used to him." She commented, turning to face her guest with a half-smile.

"Ah… I have heard of him. I don't recall the part where he watches you every minute of every day."

Sakura shrugged. "He is my protector. It is his job."

"Still, I think he takes it a little too far. He must really love you."

She almost choked. "Gaara?" She resisted snorting out a laugh. "He _hates_ me; you can take my word on that, and you better not suggest otherwise unless you want him to rip your throat out because, believe me, he will."

Sanen smirked. "Let him. Any man who would kill another simply for making a woman cry has more going on in his heart than he is leading you to believe." Then the prince's face fell slightly. "But I am sorry for causing you pain. I should not have spoken so freely of your old friend when it obviously pains you so."

"It is not your fault," Sakura replied. "You did not know. You see, my friend died." The pain was already starting to well up inside her again at the mere mention of death.

Sanen frowned. "I am sorry-"

She cut him off for she had to rush to get the rest of the words out before she would break again. "He died here. In Suna. Protecting me."

"My deepest condolences," He apologized again.

"It will not happen again," She went on, looking out off the balcony. Below, in the training grounds she spotted the orange marking Naruto. He was training the new recruits again, always busy with preparing to defend her. Kakashi was miles away in Konoha, and Jouhin was almost just as far away. But Gaara was there. Sakura caught him sitting atop another rooftop of the palace, arms crossed, eyes glaring at her. His gourd strapped to his back reminded her he was ready for battle at any time.

"It will not happen again," Sakura repeated. "Next time, I will be strong enough to save them. Strong enough, even, to defend myself so they won't have to."

Sanen smirked, looking over the railing as she did. "Our purposes are the same." He didn't meet her eye when she looked at him, but talked out to the desert. "I offered to come here to thank you and to invite you to our village in hopes that you might take me on as your student in the meantime. Because, if I was to become your student, surely I would one day be a strong medical ninja. Strong enough to help save my country.

"We are small, after all. Of my grandfather's two sons, one became the king of The Land of Lightning, while my father broke away and created Amegakure for himself. Our nations are still quite close, but we must still become stronger and always be wearing. We cannot have The Land of Lightning protecting us always or we will be nothing but a hidden village and not a country at all.

"That is why I want to become strong as well. To maintain that balance." Sanen concluded just as the bright blue sky stared to dim.

"Your goal is quite noble," Sakura mused, following his gaze. "I promise to help you achieve it in any way that I can."

Sanen smirked sexily at her. "I don't think your little desert-rat will be too happy about that. He already loathes me."

"Desert-rat?" Sakura lifted an eyebrow.

"Don't you think he reminds you of one?" Sanen cocked his head to the side, shifting his gaze to look at Gaara, still positioned on the rooftop, glaring down at them. "Always, slinking around..."

Sakura bit back a laugh. "No… not a desert-rat. You are only half right. Gaara is no rat, but he is indeed the desert. The two are very alike." She cradled her face in her hands, still looking out towards Gaara as he stood and began to walk away. "Both unforgiving and harsh, powerful and deadly, and, from my experience, both take quite a while to get used to."

"Ah," Sanen sighed, fanning himself again. "I'll never get used to this place."

She smiled. "You better do so quickly. You two have to eat dinner with us."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Faster!"

Sakura swallowed hard, feeling her lungs ach for air. Her whole body was on fire. But still she ran on, getting up and continuing even after she kept falling into the sand. It was like her first training regimen all over again. Only this time Gaara was more forceful, and cruel. Dinner had put him in a bad mood.

Sasuke and Sanen were both alike in the way they couldn't seem to stand Gaara and Gaara couldn't seem to stand them. It was so tense while her, Naruto, and the Kazekage ate that you could have cut the tension with a knife. And now he was taking his frustration out on her.

"At this rate you will _never_ become a shinobi!" He spat at her, pacing back and forth atop his rock slab. Sakura went faster still. "And you want me to train you in combat? How? When you can barely run fast enough to be even remotely successful?"

She bit back her hurt feelings and her screaming muscles. She had to go on. For herself, for her village. For Sasuke…

Gaara felt his anger continue to rise and he couldn't stop it. All he wanted to do was kill her, to hurt her physically and emotionally until she broke into a thousand shards of glass. The first, to kill her, he couldn't do, not because he didn't want to, but because of that something inside him that twisted at the very idea. If he killed her he'd lose what little freedom he had. He couldn't do that… but harm her? Make her hurt? Make her suffer? Yes, he could do that. He could most definitely do that.

He sent sand shurikan at her, commanding them to rise from the sand she ran over. She dodged most of them. A few nicked her.

"Is that the best you can do?" He hissed at her. "With those reflexes, you'll never make it."

Gaara wasn't even mad at her, yet she was there, and he'd always been mad at her before so why stop then? Why not go on being angry with her? It was her fault his life was so horrid in the first place! But even Gaara had to admit to himself, more than hurting her, more than watching her suffer, he wanted to see that damned prince die.

_"…he must really love you..."_

_"Desert-rat…" _

Damn him! He was no rat! And he most certainly did _not_ love the pathetic girl before him. Quite the opposite! He hated her! He had to! She was his master, his nemesis, the one who held what he wanted, his freedom, in the palm of her hand. How else was he supposed to feel about her? To even suggest he felt that way…

"You're weak! You will always be weak! If it wasn't for you Sasuke would still be alive!"

That stopped her. Her legs, already so feeble, gave way beneath her and she collapsed to the ground. Gaara felt his grains of sand get embedded in the scrapes on her arms and legs. And he knew. He had gone too far…

But he didn't know how to take it back. He just stood there, still and silent, watching her as she struggled to once again get to her feet.

Had he done it? Had he finally made this girl who insisted on caring about him take back those feelings of acceptance and friendship and despise him?

Gaara didn't get to find out, because Sakura was running again, around in her circle, dodging the shurikan and trying to keep her footing in the loose sand. She ran and ran as if trying to escape his words until she finally collapsed from exhaustion, passing out in the bloody sand.

He looked down on her, face twisted, fists clenched. Why? Why was it that this girl whom he hated so could make him feel so bad about himself? He crossed the line time and time again, yet she still kept running. She still kept coming back each day, putting up with him and trying to build a relationship with him. And, though he still felt something dangerous within him that caused him to hate her, would it be so bad to try and accept what she was offering? Not slave hood, but friendship? Was he even capable of returning such a gift…?

The sand shifted over her before moving back to his gourd, taking with it the dirt and sweat on her skin and clothes, leaving her clean.

_It's not friendship… _Gaara told himself as he lifted her up in his arms and started back towards the palace. _It's just my job. She is my princes… and I must protect her, even from myself… _

Gaara found peace that night as he carried her to her bed. He compromised with himself that he would no longer cause her harm, if he could help it. He'd try to be the perfect protector and hope that she'd hold up her end of the bargain and give him his freedom in the end. He'd try and get along…

But then there was that twinge he got whenever he looked at her. He knew he shouldn't feel it, and the fact that he did made him hate her. To be successful he'd have to suppress that feeling in order to defeat the hatred.

He laid her down gently on top of her mattress, careful not to disturb her as he slid his arms out from under her back. But then this strange girl surprised him again, griping his own arm with one of her dainty little hands. Her lips parted slightly and it was then that Gaara realized that she cried in her sleep, spotting the tears running from her lidded eyes.

He had heard her before, in the dead of night, crying her eyes out, but not once had it occurred to him that she might have been doing so while she slept rather than after she woke from slumber. Her voice too would carry out into the night, calling for her dead friend she missed so dearly. Only now, Gaara knew it was all in her dreams… Sakura's face looked pained as her never ending nightmare plagued her.

"Sasuke…" She whispered, still gripping Gaara's arm with all her might. "Please… I love you. Sasuke…" Her fingers went limp and dropped from his arm, finally freeing him. Gaara stepped back, clenching his fists again. Hearing her say such things of the dead shinobi made him angry, angry because when she did so he felt that twinge again, that dreaded feeling that had no business being within him. He forcefully marched out of her room, feeling the need to punch someone. He didn't hear the other mumbled words that slid past her lips that night.

"Gaara…"

END

Next update: who knows? Any suggestions? I'm thinking May 20th.


	17. Chapter 16: Desert Rat

SOOOOO sorry I'm late! 0_o Time got away from me. Here's a long chapter to make up for it! .

Chapter 16

Desert Rat

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura watched her student intently, gauging his progress as he pumped chakra into the dead rat lying on the table. Sanen's control was perfect, his keen eye even better. She had no doubt he would become a better medical ninja than herself in time. The rat twitched once, and then opened its beady eyes before jumping up to scurry around the table. Sanen smirked.

"Very good," Sakura complimented as she glanced at the clock. "That's all for today."

"But, why?" The prince asked, following her as she walked from the room, entering the changing area to take of her scrubs.

He continued. "Why is it that you always run off on me? You don't have any meetings today, do you? Why not continue for a bit longer?"

Sakura emerged from the changing room in a simple peach kimono with her hair still up in the tight bun she kept it in during medical training. "If I did that," she smiled, "Then I'd have absolutely no time for myself. Afternoon tea time is my break. You know this. Besides, Naruto has the day off, and I've already promised I'd have tea with him."

Sanen frowned. "As long as you save tomorrow's tea for me."

"Of course," She bit back her nervous smile, wondering what Gaara would do to her should she miss two afternoon practices in a row. He had already been seething earlier that day when told her fake tea time excuse to get out of meetings so she could train was turning into a real tea time with Naruto.

"Have a good afternoon," he bowed slightly to her, throwing her that sexy little grin of his. Then, he walked out of the training room, leaving her alone to wait for Naruto. He arrived before she had finished setting her hair into a more appropriate styling than a messy bun.

"So, My Lady," Naruto grinned as he offered her his arm. "Where shall we take our tea?"

"My room. I'd like to have some privacy with you."

"Naughty girl."

She punched him in the arm lightly, causing another foxy grin to spread across his face like butter. "I have not seen you in so long, Naruto. Tell me, are you avoiding me?"

Her maid poured them their tea in her private sitting room in her chambers. Sakura sipped it slowly.

Naruto sighed. "I know. I didn't expect this either. I thought I was meant to protect you, not train troupes left and right. I know they'll protect you in the long run, but still. It's _my _job, and I miss you. But, the Kazekage told me this was the best arrangement. He's polishing me to be an officer."

"That is wonderful!"

"Yeah, but still… I'm supposed to be keeping you safe. All this other junk isn't exactly in my job description. But mostly I'm just worried about you," He pressed on. "With Jouhin gone and me busy all the time… I just don't feel good about entrusting your safety to that… _rat._"

Sakura lifted an eyebrow at him. "Rat? Have you been spending time with Sanen?"

"He comes down to the training grounds sometime. We have lunch…" Naruto scratched the back of his head in that little embarrassed way of his, his eyes turning up as his goofy grin broke out again.

Despite her temptation to laugh, Sakura bit it back, looking away from Naruto and to the painting of the desert at sunset that rested on her wall. "Gaara is no desert-rat, Naruto. And… he's gotten a lot better. We get along alright now…"

"With Mr. Short-fuse? You've got to be kidding me."

"No really," Sakura tried to convince him. "Thing are going well between us. He… tolerates me, and performs his duties without complaint. He really is a very dedicated protector, Naruto, just like you. We're… actually starting to become… friends."

Naruto choked on his tea. "What?"

Sakura blushed deeply. "Gaara can be… nice when he wants to."

"_Nice?"_ He hit his chest to get rid of the tea that had gone down the wrong way. "Who are you and what have you done with Sakura?"

"You just haven't spent enough time with him," Skaura protested.

"And you have?"

She looked at him seriously. "Naruto, who else am I supposed to communicate with when you're busy all the time and Jouhin is gone?"

Now he hung his head low, in shame. "It's not my fault. If the Kazekage orders it…"

"I know," She reached out to touch his hand. "Orders are orders, and you must go where you are most needed. But honestly, I don't want you to worry about me. Gaara and I are fine. I'm not in any danger; I promise."

Naruto swallowed hard and nodded against his better judgment. "Alright. I suppose there is nothing to fear. After all, pretty soon we're all going to be dead-" He cut himself off, looking down in shame. He shouldn't have said that, an self-evident statement, giving the silence that ensued.

She was looking down into her tea cup, gazing down into the green that reflected her sorrowful eyes. "Do you really believe that's going to happen? That _me,_ harmless little old Sakura, is going to cleanse the world of demons? And even then, _all _demons? Maybe the lesser ones, but you and Jouhin and Gaara too?"

"I believe the prophesy will be fulfilled." Naruto replied simply.

Sakura's frown deepened at first, but then her expression changed instantly, a small smile creeping its way up the corners of her lips.

"Prophesy or no prophesy, there's got to be a point where you take your fate into your own hands. And that's why I'm not going to let anything happen to you Naruto," she smiled. "Not now, not ever."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Gaara closed his eyes, trying to relax and just bask in the light of the fast-setting sun.

"Why aren't we sparing today? Are you still mad at me for canceling are afternoon session?" Sakura asked him as she kicked the air, throwing two punches out seconds later. Sparing with the air was boring.

"No. You hadn't spent time with the fox in a long while. It is understandable." He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest again. He was still thinking long and hard about the conversation he'd heard while watching over her.

Had she really meant what she said? Was he really being…_ nice?_ Were they really becoming _friends?_ Every day he felt that twinge and every day it grew. And he still hated her for it but… not as much. It was his own fault it was there. Why blame her for something that was not her fault? Just like it wasn't her fault he was a slave or caged within a human body he loathed.

_It wasn't her fault… _

And as long as he kept himself in check, he wouldn't become so angry that he'd have to take it out on her.

"Then why are you in such a bad mood?" She questioned, continuing on with her kata.

"I'm trying to keep up my reputation."

Lately too, he had not only been more understanding and kind to her, but he was also beginning to open up more.

"What reputation?"

"I can't have that damn fox thinking I've gone soft. Therefore, I am avoiding being _nice." _He explained, looking back towards the sun set to avoid her surprised eyes.

"Wait. How did you know…? Where you _spying _on me?"

His face flushed light. "No! I was preforming my duties as your protector!"

Sakura snickered, "By protecting me from Naruto? You're so weird!" She covered her mouth to muffle her laughter once she caught his blazing eyes lock onto her. His gaze reminded her that she was walking a fine line between understanding friendship and him snapping.

"Sorry, you're not weird, but you really should try to stop 'preforming your duties' in such a manner. Next time, why not just join us for tea?" She suggested, moving back into her kata form.

"I hate tea."

"How can you hate tea? It's delicious!"

"Not when you've been in a tea pot for a couple centuries. After that, there's nothing good about it. Hate the smell, hate the taste, hate all those little leaves."

She giggled, continuing on with her training.

"It matters not. What the fox says is true." He mused.

"Oh? Right about you being nice? Or are we still talking about tea?"

Gaara clenched his fists and breathed deeply to suppress his anger. "No," he spoke through clenched teeth. "Right about us nearing the end of our lives. I have decided not to make my last days filled with the hate and anger that will get me locked up again. I intend to spend then being free, when you live up to our bargain."

Looking back at her, he saw how she had frozen, her gaze locked with his with so much pity hidden behind her glass orbs.

His temper shot again. "Do _not_ look at me like that."

"It's not true," she whispered to him. "It can't be. They keep telling me I'm the one who will carry out the prophecy and destroy all the demons, but this can't be true. I can't be the one to kill you."

Gaara stared her down hard. "And you wonder why I hated you so. Your existence caused my enslavement, my pain and suffering, and will eventually cause my death. The only compensation you have offered me is that I might be able to be free when my soul parts from this body rather than sealed up again in that dreaded jar of tea."

He chose not to mention that twinge she caused him, that feeling that made him despise her and himself a thousand times more. It made him feel so… dirty and unworthy.

"I'm going to stop it," she said in such a determined voice that he almost believed her. "I meant what I said to Naruto, about taking your fate into your own hands and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to find a way. I promises. I won't let anyone else die for my sake. I promised Sasuke…" Gaara fist clenched when she mentioned that man again. "I promised Naruto, and I'm promising you. I'll find a way."

Gaara smirked, letting out a huff, but choosing not to argue with her. It would be a pointless argument considering he knew nothing she said could change both of their fates. "Whatever you say, _Princess… _whatever you say…"

He was created by the desert. He had been born into the world of humans through the sand that consumed his world. And it would be there, in the desert he had been trapped in, where his human body would die and his demon soul would remain. Forever. Even when she killed him and the rest of the demonic spawn, there would be a part of him that remained in every grain of sand. He would never leave…

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura sat upright, sipping her tea calmly as she waited for the Kazekage to arrive. Sanen sat across from her, doing the same. She didn't fail to notice how he eyed her every once in a while before looking back to the scroll laying in front of him. Time ticked by slowly, painstakingly so, as the hour approached when her sunset session with Gaara would begin. Before then, she needed things to be settled.

"Sorry I'm late," Zurui finally walked in, his regal-ness saturating the air as he readjusted his Kazekage hat. "The meeting with the commanders was more pressing than I expected."

"It is understandable," Sakura replied as she sat her tea cup down and waited for Zurui to seat himself on the floor next to her. He did so.

"Now, what is the topic of interest?" He asked, folding his legs beneath him.

"This," the young prince put down his tea as well, moving to hand the Kazekage the scroll. The man's pale fingers opened it delicately and his beady, black-rimmed eyes scanned the text. Sakura was not surprised at his immediate anger.

"What is this? I never said that you would be permitted to visit Amegakure!" He barked.

Sakura tried to remain calm. "You are correct. You did not say I was going; I said I was going. It was decided months ago Zurui, and now that this barrier is complete there will be no danger if I go, to me, or to the people of the rain village."

"But… but this is preposterous! Surely you know the risk! The journey there alone would be perilous! And what if something were to happen to the village in your absence? No, the risk it too great."

"Zurui," she continued to speak calmly, "My mind is made up. I will be journeying to Amegakure at the end of the week. Also, I will be there for two weeks and will hold council with The Land of Lightning's lords and king while in the area. Lord knows I must do so to repair the relationship after your dismissal of the prime minister… Do not think I have not considered what has to be done here as well. Now, I'd like for you to stop trying to stop me and put together all the preparations that will be needed for me to travel."

Sanen kept his head down, trying not to get in the middle of such a power struggle. What could be seen of the Kazekage's face under his hat and mask was turning red.

"If your Majesty is sure, I will make the preparations and put together a caravan for you. One hundred soldiers should be enough, but of course, I will also be coming with you." His tone had calmed along with his anger, but just when he was in control of himself again, Sakura lost her control.

"Are you mad?" She gasped. "You most certainly _cannot_ come! Who will manage everything while I am away? And what if Suna were to fall under attack from another village? The village cannot afford to have both of its leaders away."

He smirked from under his mask. "Without you, there is no village. I will stay with you and protect you."

"Isn't that what I have protectors for?"

"Yes," he pursed his lips "But I'd rather accompany you myself. Why trust someone else to do a job you are capable of? Besides, I am planning to have Naruto run things while we are away, and obviously he will not be able to be in two places at once."

"Wait," Sakura was sure she had heard wrong. "Naruto?"

The Kazekage continued. "Yes. I have worked with him thoroughly since he arrived. He knows how to accomplish my job in a fairly good manner and would be more than capable of handling the affairs of the state. Also, I hate to admit it, but he'd be more valuable in a battle than I ever could be, especially when he wears no collar. He can manage and defend the country while we are away."

Sakura swallowed hard. The Kazekage had a point, but still, it wasn't fair! Her protectors were her friends and were made specifically to protect _her._ As of late, they seemed to be doing very little of their original job and being used more as political tools and weapons of war. She didn't like it, but what could she do? She knew he would not allow her to go if he did not accompany her.

She huffed. "Alright… Naruto may stay. Sanen, I, you, and Gaara will travel to Amegakure and meet up with Jouhin-"

"Wait," The Kazekage cut her off. "What makes you think I would allow Gaara to come?"

Sakura blinked, a little taken aback. "He is my protector, Zurui, and since you are depriving me of Naruto and Jouhin is not available…"

"Gaara- h- he… It's hard enough keeping him at bay here in the village! What makes you think I would ever consider setting him loose on the _world?_ No, no. Such a thing is far too dangerous."

"Zurui," she said firmly. "He _must _come. I will not travel without one of my protectors."

"Then don't go!" he smiled. "I don't want you to go anyway. You refusing to do so would solve my problems."

"But I can't do that either. You see, I've already accepted the Crown Prince's invitation. If I decline now, Amegakure and The Land of Lightning as well would likely be very upset with us." She smiled back, seeing the look of defeat on his face. He had no more leverage, and Gaara would be coming.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Now is the perfect time to strike!" the voice roared through the darkness. "Why of all times can I not depend on you?"

"I… I can't. I'm bound. I need your help! Please!"

"No! You got yourself into this situation! And to make things worse, my brethren are dying because of that damn barrier. You have betrayed us!"

"No! I didn't know!"

"And now, when the princess in vulnerable, you can do nothing! Useless! Now we must wait! Strike her before she returns to Suna or I will strike you down!"

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura breathed in and out heavily, cautious about wiping the sweat trickling down her face off her delicate skin. One small opening was all it would take. Then, she'd be finished.

Gaara's eyes were still locked on her, studying her as he had in those first days of their relationship, when he'd looked at her like she was his prey. He used that same analyzing stare, waiting for a sign, one little blink of the eyes, then it would be all over. Then, his chance came.

A sweat droplet fell in her eyes, causing her to blink. He ran towards her, ready to attack. Gaara could feel the sand in his gourd shift. It called for him to use it, to rip her to shreds, but this was no death match. He couldn't afford to hurt her, even if that little piece of him still raged to do so.

She screamed out, hurling her fist forward at his face, but he dodged. Then she was jumping backwards to avoid his counter attack. The struggle for dominance continued with one glancing blow after the other, dragging out the battle. The sun was setting again, off in the distance, marking how long they'd be at it.

Since their first sparing match she's reached this level, able to hold her own against him, at least when he was not using his sand, for up to an hour before she would collapse. But now, she was nearing the end of her endurance as the hour drew to a close. Gaara was going to win again.

But not before she went out with a bang.

He hit her in the arm, lightly of course because he couldn't be leaving battle scars on the princess, but hard enough to send her spinning. Unfortunately, Gaara failed to realize she was using the spin to come back around at him until it was a second too late. Her leg collided with his shell of sand, which cracked under her strength. That same strength sent both of them hurling towards the ground, and before Gaara realized what happened, he was lying on the desert floor, with Sakura pinned beneath him.

She groaned slightly, feeling the back of her head as he lifted himself up with his forearms to prevent from crushing her. "Ah, got you," she managed through another groan.

"Lucky shot," Gaara growled back, trying to figure out which legs were his in the tangled mess of limbs, so that he could get up. But then he froze, when she laughed slightly, looking back down at her to catch her grinning up at him.

She didn't say anything, just looked at him, and though he was tempted to bark at her, he said nothing as well; just looked back down at her, in slight shock.

Her expression changed to one of somewhat pity and Gaara tensed when her hand moved up towards his face. He closed his eye involuntarily, only to have them snap open again when he felt her fingers wrapping around the heavy black collar strapped to his neck. Time stood still. He felt her breath on his face and the heat of her body at every point of contact. The hand on his collar burned as it moved towards his cheek. Those eyes bore into him. Time started again when he caught the red on both of their cheeks and quickly sprung to his feet, turning away from her and clearing his throat slightly.

"Er… enough sparing. Run through your Katas and then your exercise regimen." He walked away from her, going to sit on his flat rock. His hand brushed lightly over his gourd as he passed, the sand within it shifting violently.

It didn't make since. Why had he felt like that, in that split moment of time? His insides twitched and his anger flared. He hated that wrong feeling, but he no longer knew. Was he mad at himself for feeling it or mad at her for causing it?

He looked off into the desert, watching the bloody line of sky shrink slowly as night engulfed it. What he wouldn't give to chase that red, to wander out into the desert and beyond, but no.

"Gaara?"

He ignored the twinge her caring voice caused him and did not answer her. But he knew she knew he was listening.

"Do you love the desert?"

"I am a demon who is not supposed to love. Why would you ask me such a thing?"

Her feet drew circles in the sand as she looked to the ground. "The way you look out at it…" She didn't finish her sentence, nor did Gaara reply. "You've lived here a long time haven't you?"

He nodded. "For longer than your life and the life of every person in Suna combined."

"Wow. You must be sick of the desert then." She smiled.

Gaara pondered her question, running his fingers over the rock below him. "No. I've become so accustom to it, I cannot imagine a life anywhere else."

Sakura moved to sit on the rock in front of him. "Have you really never considered living somewhere else? Maybe the Snow Country? That might be a nice break from the heat."

"I've never seen anything of this world other than the desert."

"Wait," Sakura's eyes went wide. "Are you saying you've never been anywhere else but The Land of Wind?"

He looked up at her, completely serious. "I've never been anywhere beyond the boundaries of this city's outskirts."

Sakura's eyes looked as if they would bulge out of her skull. "Are you _serious?_" One look at his face confirmed her question. But, instead of looked depressed as Gaara imagined she would, a smile crept over her face.

"What?" His brow crinkled together.

"I suppose, this will be a great thing for you then," She was still smiling.

Gaara repeated "What?"

Her smile only widened. "At the end of the week, we will be traveling to The Village Hidden in the Rain."

His reaction was not what Sakura expected. His face fell and his eyes darkened. "I am not going,"

Sakura's smiled was wiped of her face in an instant. "But… but you have to. I can't go unless I have a protector."

"Take the fox."

"The Kazekage needs Naruto to stay. There's no one else who could come."

"I'm not going," he repeated firmly.

She frowned. "Why not? This is your chance to get out into the world."

"Not going."

Sakura spoke firmly. "Yes."

"No!" He barked back at her with flaring eye. "I've not left this city for centuries! I can't! It's my power that keeps the wall in place and the tunnels secure. They might collapse if I leave."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I'm still not going."

"Yes, you are." She repeated again, but still he protested.

"No, I'm _not."_They both crossed their arms over their chests, both determined in their quest.

END

Alright, so how was it? I need some feedback and input here people. Next update's probably gonna be June 15th ish. I shall try to be on time with the next one!


	18. Chapter 17: The Rain of Amegakure

Shorter one, but it's early. Look guys, please read this. I don't know why i'm even writing this story anymore. Maybe 5 different people review it, and that's ok, but who's reading it? Who actively follows it? And why bother if it doesn't mean anything to anyone other than me? I may take a break soon, IDK, we'll just have to see how it goes. Good chapter here for anyone who enjoys comic situations. :P

Chapter 17

The Rain of Amegakure 

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Ah… Ah! Ah-choo!" Gaara sniffed, coughing a bit and crossing his arms over his chest again. There were no words to describe how miserable he was in that moment.

"Gaara? Are you feeling alright? Would you like an umbrella?" Sakura asked him. She sat sidesaddle on her white horse, remaining perfectly still so as not to mess up her beautiful green kimono with white rose buds on the side. She held her matching umbrella over her head, to prevent from getting wet as the rain poured down. Gaara walked alongside her horse, his entire being soaked to the bone. His wet red hair matted itself to his head.

"I already said no!" he barked back.

Sakura flinched against his harsh tone.

One good thing had come from being forced on the journey; Gaara now knew how much he absolutely loathed rain. It had been coming down in harsh, fat, droplets relentlessly ever since they crossed the border into the country. He hated it, hated it more than being forced to come along with a girl he hated on a journey he never wanted to take.

"Having trouble?" Sanen smirked from under his eyelashes. He too was soaked, but he seemed to be used to the weather.

Gaara's didn't reply to the prince. His lack of a harsh remark worried Sakura further. The shinobi looked as if he was barely standing on his feet, yet still he pressed on through the rain and the slush, all for her sake.

"The village is just around this bend, Sakura-sama, Kazekage-sama. We'll be under the protective shield in a few moments. Your protector should be able to pass through seeing as he has a human shell." Sanen reported to them.

"Very well," The Kazekage grumbled from within his carriage, carried on the backs of four shinobi. He threw the curtains closed after replying.

"Alright," Sakura murmured, still looking at Gaara with concern.

"It is late," Sanen continued. "The caravan can disband under the cover of a loading dock while Your Majesty and Lord Kazekage are shown the palace and to your rooms. I'll send soldiers to accommodate your shinobi in another area."

"Thank you very much." Sakura smiled.

Sanen smirked back her. "And… am I to assume that Gaara will be taking up quarters with the other shinobi or…?"

"A room close to my own will do, thank you." The princess almost commanded. The other shinobi all expressed sighs of relief. None of them were very keen on sleeping near the infamous Gaara, especially when he was so obviously in a bad mood. Even now he grumbled low, almost pouting at Sakura's decision. The last thing he wanted was to be anywhere _near_ her, not after the hellish journey she had just put him through.

Sakura and the Kazekage dismounted and separated from the caravan, following Sanen and his men towards the towering palace, looming at them through the rain and the mist. The building seemed to cry at the relentless sky, just as the wet ground did, too damp to absorb any more moisture. Its voice echoed under Sakura's feet with every proceeding step she took.

The great jade doors of the palace opened with the same cries as the rest of the land. The palace was as dark as the city and grey, like the clouds covering the sky. As the doors shut behind them the darkness grew momentarily, only to be broken by a small lamp, held in the palm of an approaching man. From his dress, Sakura could tell he was no noble, nor the crown prince that ruled the palace.

"Welcome back, My Lord," He bowed to Sanen. "And welcome, pristine guests of Suna. His Majesty, the Crown Prince apologies for the city's power outage."

"What has caused it?" Sanen demanded.

"The demon-shield, My Lord. It has been taking a lot of energy to keep up. The power plant is trying to correct for this as soon as possible, however. All should be fine by morning. The Crown Prince also apologizes that he could not meet you this evening. He is busy tending to an important matter, but has offered you a chance to rest before you speak in the morning. You must all be very tired." The man's eyes looked over Gaara briefly before meeting Sanen's own eyes again.

"Very well." He spoke in that prestigious tone of his. "Please show Sakura-sama, Kazekage-sama and their companion to the royal guest quarters." Sanen then turned to Sakura. "I shall also retire and come to call on you tomorrow morning."

"Thank you for your hospitality." She smiled at him.

"Not a problem. I owe you much more for being so kind to me and training me for these past months. Anyway, I shall see you in the morning. Goodnight, My Lady." He gave her and Zurui a slight bow before making his way down a dark corridor.

They followed close behind the man with the lantern, upstairs and down hallways to their rooms. The man didn't speak to them until they arrived at their destination.

"Here is yours, Lord Kazekage." He opened the first door.

The Kazekage peered in through the gloom. "I suppose it will do…"

The man bowed. "There is a lamp by you bedside along with a light for the wick." Zurui didn't answer, just walked inside and shut the door forcefully behind him. The man flinched slightly, but, nevertheless, continued to smile as he turned back to Sakura.

"You room is this way, Your Highness." He walked to the other end of the hall with her. Gaara trailed behind them. Sakura worried that he hadn't spoken one word since they entered the palace. "Here you are." He opened a door for her. "And here is your friend's room." The man opened the door right next to hers. "I hope you two will be comfortable."

"Thank you," Sakura smiled at the man, causing him to blush.

"Your lamps are also on your bedside tables along with the lights for the wicks." He gave them a bow before traveling down the hall and disappearing around the corner.

"Well then I suppose we should turn in-"

_Snap!_

She jumped at the sound or Gaara's door closing quickly behind him. She shivered from the cold wake he left behind him.

The room was small, but suitable, and remarkably, all of her luggage had already been brought up. Sakura lit the lamp at her bedside, moving to open the window across from her to look out at the grey and the rain. The air itself was thick with cool moisture, and, though many would find the weather depressing, she loved it. So many months in Suna had made her partial to the rainy climate she had been deprived of for so long.

Tired from the long journey, she dressed in a pink nightgown and let her long pink hair down. Sakura brushed it out at the vanity before crawling into the comfortable bed, but it happened again. Despite how exhausted she was and how much her body ached for sleep, she couldn't find it. Gaara was keeping her up again with worry.

"Gaara?" she whispered, tapping lightly on his door. There was no answer. "Gaara?" Sakura spoke a little more forcefully. Still, the chamber beyond remained as quiet as ever.

Was he asleep? No; impossible. Gaara couldn't sleep, but then why wasn't he answering her? Surely he wasn't so mad at her that he wouldn't answer her call.

Sakura's face hardened. "Gaara, I'm coming in." She snapped, pulling the door open a little too forcefully and walking into the gloom. The room was dark; obviously he hadn't lit his lamp and there was no sign of him through the despondency.

She walked forward into the room. "Gaara?"

No answer, but as she took another step forward Sakura tripped and fell to the ground. With a moan she lifted herself off the carpet and looked back at what had tripped her. Her eyes went wide.

"Gaara!" She jumped to her feet and was at his side in an instant, flipping him from his side onto his back and checking vitals. Pressing a hand to his forehand she felt the raging fever and the cold sweat coating his body and wet clothes. She called his name again, but he remained passed out on the floor. Had he really been _that _ill? Even his sand shell had fallen away from his body and ingrained itself into the carpet.

Sakura untied his gourd from around his back, acting quickly, on instinct, and using all her might to hall him into the bathroom.

"Uhaag…" He groaned, coming around as she pulled him towards the bathroom. She propped him up against the wall once inside and rummaged through his kunai holster.

"Sa… ku… ra?" his eyes, glassy and drooping, began to open slightly. "What…?"

She grabbed one of the kunai and began to cut away at his clothing, pulling the damp shreds off of him.

"What are you…?"

Sakura jumped to her feet and turned the shower on, running the water as hot as she could get it. He was struggling to his feet, but ended up collapsing onto the floor again. She turned back to him, helping him up and almost throwing him under the water. He gasped, falling to the shower floor as the curtain behind him closed, then moaned as the heat sunk into his frozen flesh.

"Ua…" Gaara let the hot water fall over him. "What's wrong with me…?"

"You're sick," She answered him for the first time. "I'll be right back with your clothes." And then the bathroom door closed behind her.

Gaara struggled to his feet again, only to throw up once he got there. The hot water rushing down erased the remnants of his last meal, and then he heard the door open again.

"Don't come in," he said, hazily. "I'm… sick." The realization that he had just thrown up hit him then.

"Of course you are," Sakura replied, reaching a hand into the shower to shut off the water before flinging the curtain back. Her eyes were shut, her hands extending a towel Gaara fumbled with briefly, trying to dry himself off. Sakura handed him some clothes after that. He struggled with them for a while before passing out again. After that, Sakura finished the job and hauled him out of the bathroom.

He came around again as she got him to the bed.

"This is a bad place," He groaned as she pulled blanket after blanket onto him to keep him warm.

"It's just rain, but if I'd known it was going to make you this sick… You're just so used to the desert…" She looked down, her eyes sad. Gaara might have felt angry with her pity for him, but had not the energy to show it.

"It's not just the rain," His eyes were growing heavy now. "Something about this place is… wrong; I feel like the energy's being sucked right out of me."

Sakura felt his feverish forehead, deciding on what medicine to get him.

"I'm cold," He whispered, starting to drift away again.

"I'll go get more blankets." She was about to get to her feet again when he gripped her wrist. His grasp was so feeble she could have easily broken it but something caused her to linger behind. She smiled sweetly at him.

"You _are_ a desert-rat, aren't you? It's not that cold."

"No," his consciousness was hanging on by a thread now. "I'm cold, I'm always cold."

Then Gaara blacked out, his hand still clutching her wrist.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura woke, her back as stiff as a bored, her neck aching as if it had been broken then mended in the wrong position. But of course, that's what she got for sleeping kneeled at Gaara's bedside.

She stretched, cringing as her stiff joints cracked as if trying to snap the cold off. Indeed, her whole body felt dowsed in ice. Only her right hand was warm, safely incased within Gaara's own hand. He'd slept through the night, thankfully, and hadn't even transformed. Sakura suspected it was because his body was so weak, it couldn't if it tried.

He stirred then, as she slipped her hand out of his grasp. His eyes opened slowly as he groaned.

"Gaara? How are you feeling?" She sat back on her heals, anxious for his answer. He didn't speak, only sat bolt upright and heaved stomach contents over the side of the bed.

END

I was laughing my head off trying to write this. I can't imagine what Gaara would be like sick, so I just went with whacked out. Hope you liked. Next update: June 20th. Or sooner, if I get some motivating kicks in the pants from whoever's reading this.


	19. Chapter 18: The Crown Prince

Early again. ^_^ Holy crap. I asked for input and boy did I ever get it! Thank you guys SOOOOOOOOO Much! ^_^ Your reviews really inspired me to continue on writing and also gave me a ton of great ideas. And now that I know what you guys like and don't like, I can better edit my story. Thank you again, and PLEASE keep it up. You have NO idea how easy it is to write when i feel so inspired by your input.

Chapter 18

The Crown Prince 

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Zurui straightened his hat, closing his door behind him as he prepared to travel down to breakfast. But then, it happened.

"Ahhh!"

He jumped, quite undignified into the air and turned around, his hand covering his fast beating heart. "What on earth!"

He saw Sakura immerge from Gaara's room, just as she screamed again. He automatically thought the worst. The demon had snapped. He'd tried to kill the princess. And now she was wounded bleeding all over her night gown except… it wasn't blood. Zurui's disgusted face mirrored Sakura's as she marched down the hall, her front covered in vomit.

"Sakura –sama! What's going on? Why are you-"

"Gaara's sick." She said flatly. "Send of a doctor. I will meet you at breakfast shortly." She opened the door to her room, went inside, slamming said door behind her.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Sakura-sama," Sanen smiled at her as she entered the dining room. The room was lit primarily by the light grey sky outside, exposed by the glass roof panel. Light rain droplets fell down, sliding off if it's smooth surface.

"Good morning Sanen-sama." She smiled back at him as he pulled her chair out for her and took his place across from her and the Kazekage. Together, they were the only people at the table.

"Please excuse my brother. He's running a bit late, but please, feel free to begin." He motioned to the food in front of them. Sakura could tell from her company's plates, that Zurui and Sanen had already begun before she had arrived.

"And where might the desert-rat be this morning?" Sanen asked as she began to delicately place watermelon slices on her plate. "Lord Kazekage told me he was sick?"

She was focused on her food rather than his smirking face. For once, that little grin of his bothered her. Perhaps it was because she knew it was filled with delight over the pain of her friend. "Yes," Sakura forced a smile. "He's not feeling well. I believe this weather is what's fatiguing him so."

Sanen smiled. "I presume that means he will not be accompanying us this morning?"

"Sorry to disappoint you,"

Sakura's head snapped around to view her protector as did Sanen's and the Kazekage's. Gaara stood tall behind them, arms crossed over his chest, gourd strapped to his back, fainting spell coming over him…

Sakura only just managed to get out of her seat and help support his weight to keep him from collapsing over.

"I'm fine!" He pushed her away, staggering to his seat on his own. Gaara stared daggers at the empty plate in front of him, pretending the other three people in the room were not looking at him.

"Er… you want something to eat?" Sanen regretted his question the moment Gaara's gaze shifted towards him.

"No." Gaara looked back down to his empty plate. He felt light headed…

The palace servant was the one who finally broke the silence, stepping forward out of the shadows. "His royal highness, Prince Katsua."

As the others at the table stood to greet the prince, Gaara sat, trying to suppress his growing need to vomit.

Sakura's jaw hit the floor, not expecting in the least what met her as she turned to face the crowned prince. In her mind, she'd been picturing him as an older, slightly cooler version of Sanen. Since the younger prince was the spitting image of Sasuke, she supposed Katsua would be the same. She was wrong.

His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail and the large round glasses he wore blocked his eye from sight. His pasty skin reminded Sakura of paper.

"Greetings!" He smiled wide, extending his arms to the group. Sakura caught how his unusually high pitched voice cracked as he spoke. Surely there was a mistake… There was no way this could possibly be the crown prince. He… He wasn't cool enough!

"Hello, Brother. Nice to see you again." Sanen smirked.

"Ah, Sanen! It's been ages! Honestly, being cooped up in your room for so long is not good for you."

Sakura laughed a few times at Katsua's joke, until she found no one else was laughing… She looked down, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"Yes, about that. I was in Suna, don't you remember?" Sanen's smirk turned to a frown.

"You were…? Oh! That's right, that's right! I forgot. Busy with work and all." Katsua smiled, turning from his younger brother to his guests. "You see, not only am I Crown Prince of this land, but I'm also a scientist. I've been working on the barrier for the past several months… but enough about me! You must be Lord Kazekage! It is a great honor to meet you." He shook Zurui's hand. "And this lovely young lady must be Princess Sakura Akari! The rumors of your beauty are true."

Stepping forward to kiss her hand, the prince smiled, before tripping over his robe and ending up knocking right into her. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat as Katsua crashed down on her and she fell back. Her muscles tensed, bracing for the moment when her back would hit the floor, but in never came.

All she had to do was blink once and she was on her feet, a pair of strong arms holding her up while the prince himself had his face smashed into the carpet. Sakura looked briefly from the fallen prince up to the man who had saved her, Gaara of course. His eyes did not meet hers. Instead, they were glaring down at the prince.

"Reckless bastard…" She heard her protector whisper as he set her back on her feet, his arms leaving her waist. First, she felt mad at him for swearing at royalty, but then seconds later felt… -what was it? Longing?- after his arms left her, and then annoyance. Even as sick as he was, his reflexes were still so sharp. Sharper even than when they were practicing. He was holding out on her…

"Katsua-sama! Are you alright?" The Kazekage stepped forward. However, despite his concerned tone, he did not move to help the injured prince.

"Oh, how clumsy of me…" came the muffled, nasally voice of the prince as he sat himself up again and staggered to his feet. Sanen helped him up.

Katsua went on. "These stupid robes! Such a nuisance." He smiled at Sakura. "My advisors insisted I wear them as a formality. You wouldn't mind if I took them off would you…?"

Sakura glanced down at the flowing blue robes swallowing the prince up in their folds of fabric. "N-Not at all."

The prince smiled before discarding his royal attire, revealing plain black pants and a white medical coat underneath, as well as the scrawniest body Sakura had ever seen in her life. He looked so unwell that he could have past for a cadaver.

"You haven't been eating, have you?" Sanen asks sternly, also noticing his brother's lack of a healthy appearance.

"Oh silly little brother! Who has time to eat when there are so many exciting things going on?" Katsua smiled wide, dusting himself off slightly and picking up his glasses. His eyes were Sasuke's as well, just like his brother's, but once hidden behind those gawky glasses, it didn't matter.

"Ah! And this must be the other protector!" Katsua grinned wider, stepping as close to Gaara as humanly possible. Sakura, cringed, praying he wouldn't slaughter the prince for not only approaching him, but coming within an inch of his face. From Gaara's expression, she could tell he was contemplating the idea.

"Amazing! It seems the Shukaku's demonic energy was so strong, it imprinted the rings found around its eyes onto this demon form. Facinating! Tell me, are there any other physical manifestations of the tanuki demon on this body? Perhaps enlarged testicles or-"

Sakura's face turned almost as red as Gaara's hair.

"Ok!" Sanen quickly cut off his brother. "I think that's enough questions for one day." He pulled Katsua away from Gaara's fuming face before his brother was mauled by a very upset tanuki.

Katsua wrenched himself away from his brother and went straight back to approaching Gaara. "Oh, but questions are fun! Wouldn't you agree?" Gaara only glared back down at the man, his fists clenching tighter and tighter with each passing second. "Say, would you allow me to examine your demon, Princess Sakura? The opportunity would provide me with the most incredible data…" He reached forward, it seemed to try and touch Gaara's face and the poor sick man was trapped. Having already backed himself up against the dining room table, he had nowhere left to flee to.

Sakura squeezed herself in-between the Prince and Gaara just before it was too late. "Actually, Prince Katsua, Gaara is quite sick at present. Perhaps some other time after he has had time to rest?"

Katsua, tilted his head to the side and leaned in closer, still oblivious to her and focused only on Gaara. She pushed herself against Gaara's chest more as if trying to protect him from the deranged prince. So focused on keeping him safe, she didn't even notice how his body stiffened behind her, his chest and stomach flexing as she was almost forcibly pushed back into them by Katsua.

"Brother, that's enough. Like Princess Sakura-sama said, another time." Sanen placed a firm hand on his older brother's shoulder.

Katsua blinked and stepped back. "I suppose you're right. It is much more proficient to examine a healthy jinshuriki in order to get proper readings." He grinned. "In the meantime, please allow me to give you the grand tour of Amegakure!"

"We would be most honored," The Kazekage bowed his head, still smirking a bit from watching the comical squabble that had past.

"Yes, honored," Sakura forced a smile, still standing firmly in front of Gaara to insure his safety.

Katsua's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Very well! I shall meet you all by the grand hall entrance in fifteen minutes! I must go get ready." He turned immediately towards the room's exit and started for it.

Sanen followed quickly after him. "Brother, please eat something before you leave,"

"No time! Can't keep our guests waiting, can we?"

"I insist."

"Very well, but just a quick bowl of rice-"

"With pork."

"Fine! Fine! With a little pork on top…"

Right before they left the room Sanen sent a very apologetic look back towards Sakura. She returned it with a weak smile.

"Oh yes, this is going to be interesting…" The Kazekage mumbled, mostly to himself, as he followed the two princes' lead and left the dining room.

Sakura sighed, finally taking a step away from Gaara's chest and slumping down in a chair. "Well that wasn't exactly what I expected…"

"I want to kill that man," Gaara hissed.

"I'm actually surprised you didn't."

"If he ever comes near me again, I will not restrain myself."

Sakura bit her lip, "Please try and be civilized. If we don't make a good impression, he is sure not to consider me for marriage."

Gaara's legs gave out and he fell back into a chair. Sakura quickly gripped his shoulders to keep him steady. "Are you alright? I've never seen an illness like this…"

Gaara ignored her comment, instead straining to lift his gaze to meat hers. "Are you saying you _wish _to marry that pitiful excuse for a man?"

Sakura's face fell. "I never said that-"

"You implied it."

She lowered her eyes in shame. "The council's top choices were Amegakure and The Land of Lightning because, since the two royal families are related, if one were to win me, the chance of the other declaring war is slim to none. But because of what happened with the Prime Minister of The Land of Lightning… I just really need this visit to go well. "

"To win you." Gaara repeated. "You speak as if you are a prize. And so what if neither one of the disgusting princes' _want _you? There are others."

"No, there aren't. They are the only two countries both Suna and Konoha are on good terms with."

He snorted. "Political marriages…"

Sakura felt her face burn with heat. "I am a princess, and a princess _must_ put her country above her own needs at times."

Gaara groaned.

"What?" With her hands on her hips, she glared down at him with malice. "Did you think you were the only one who is incarcerated in this world? Well, you're not! Our cages may be furnished in different fashions, but you and I alike are both nothing but prisoners."

"N-no."

"Of course we are! I mean, _I'm _being forced into marring someone and… am nothing but a figure head! Until I officially take the thrown I have no say in what goes on-"

"No, it wasn't that."

Sakura looked down at him, raising one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "What?"

Gaara groaned again, and this time she saw how he doubled over and clutched his torso as he did so.

"Oh…" Her eyes softened at the same time her lips twisted into a guilty expression of remorse. "I'm… sorry. Let me help you get settled before I have to leave."

"I'm coming with you."

"Oh no you're not!" The stern tone returned to her voice as she helped Gaara to his feet. She started to lead him through the lavished palace, back up towards their quarters. "You will be resting today during my tour. I've sent for a doctor who should ne bere shortly and I'll assign the medics in our traveling party to attend to you as well, at least until I return."

"But-"

"No buts!"

Gaara had not the strength to argue against her and so went quietly as he was lead back up to his room. However, inside the turmoil raged. Something was wrong; he could feel it coursing through the veins of his now decrepit body, indisposed b_ecause_ of whatever it was that was off about this new land.

He watched her leave out through his door, smiling back towards him before shutting it behind her oh so delicately. It was then that the hatred within him bubbled over, yet, surprisingly, it was not directed at her for once. He was furious with the universe! Of all the times for him to be in poor health, it had to be then, when his princess was in a strange land, being shown around by a prince who could be classified as senile, and quite possibly in danger from something he was sure was slithering around in the rain. Gaara was certain of it. There was something else besides the damp and humid weather ailing him. Yet, whatever it was, he was helpless to stop it…

END

Next update: 6/28/12 PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE Continue to review! There's nothing that keeps me motivated to finish this story more than hearing from the people who care about it.


	20. Chapter 19: The Shield and The City

BAAAWWWW! I love you guys! You are helping SO much with your reviews and support, that, once again, I'm early with the chapter! ^_^ Sorry if the spelling's bad but I was so excited to get this up I didn't read it through twice before posting.

Chapter 19

The Shield and The City

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

In short, Sakura felt awkward, like a creature of the sand thrown into a pond. Her pink flowered kimono was short and cut off below her knees rather than being full length and dragging in the wet and muddy streets. However, as another prevention of rain, she forcibly had to pair her lovely kimono with a pair of large black knee high rain boots, made for walking through Amegakure without wet feet.

The sight was amusing at the very least. She looked ridiculous! So, as the rest of her traveling party approached, she hid her face under her umbrella.

"Hello Princess!" She heard Katsua's obnoxious voice call out to her. She tried not to look at him as he tromped towards her in his scientist outfit, also paired with rain boots. Sanen too wore them, gliding smoothly over the puddles alongside his brother. The boots did not look ridiculous on them, in her opinion. After all, they went with the crown prince's outfit, and with Sanen in his shinobi gear, they looked like an essential part of combat.

"Are we all ready to depart then?"

Sakura turned to see the Kazekage approaching them and had to bite back her laughter. He wore his Kazekage's hat coupled with an umbrella, the same infernal rain boots, and actual regular cloths. Black pants and a deep blue shirt replaced his flowing robes.

She muffled another laugh with her sleeve. Of all of them, surely it was the Kazekage who looked the most ridiculous. Or perhaps that was just because she was used to seeing him in his robes…?

"Yes! Let us set forth then! I'm sure you'll _love_ my village!" Katsua smiled broadly and adjusted his fogging glasses.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura's feet squished into the mud. Trying to pull it back out again was a battle between her determination and the soggy ground's powerful suction. She would have lost her boot if it wasn't for Sanen's assistance. Neither the Kazekage nor Katsua noticed. Zrui was too busy sneering at anything and everything while Katsua never faltered from his tour-guide mode.

"And on your right is the ninja academy!" He swanked.

The Kazekage grimiest. "Rather small, is it not…?"

"Well, yes. We had to cut some funds to finance our barrier project. And it's okay really. We are a small village; therefore there is not a great demand for shinobi."

Sakura sighed, then groaned again as she stumbled across yet another nasty patch of mud and her boot was captured by the wilting earth.

"Please, let me assist you, Princess Sakura." Sanen offered again, leaning over and gingerly plucking her foot from the mud before she could protests with him.

"Thank you,"

He smirked up at her. "It's the least I can do. I'm quite sorry we don't have any chariots or throne bearers for you. However, I'm afraid the rain would hinder them even more than it does us."

"Oh, don't worry about it." She returned his smile sweetly. "I wouldn't want to be a burden. And besides, the rain is actually quite nice-"

_Squish!_

Both her boots sunk into the mud puddle.

She threw her head back in frustration. "Uggg! Though, I must admit I seem to have grown fairly used to the desert."

Sanen laughed frivolously, once again helping her out of the mud. "Well, I can't really vogue for the rain considering our village is named after it, but I'm sure it wishes it could let up as much as you do. This village hasn't seen a day without rainfall since its foundation. Despite that, I think it a pleasant place to live."

"That's only because you're a prince here."

Sakura only realized she'd hurt his feelings when she turned to see Sanen's frowning face. "Does our village really displease you so much?"

"N-no! Not at all! I didn't mean that; I- I just…"

He smirked at her. "Come on, Sakura. Did you really think I'd be so upset? I understand where you're coming from. First time visitors to this place often find it distasteful, but, trust me, it's easy to get used to. It's a lot like your desert, I suppose. Did you not hate it when you originally came? But now you have grown used to it and prefer it over Amegakure."

Sakura nodded in agreement with his words. Her friend was definitely good at reading her better than she could herself. Just like Sasuke…

Sanen held his head high and looked ahead, walking forward in pace with her behind the other two members of their party. He twirled his umbrella once to make the rain droplets hanging from the sides fall to the ground with soft plinks.

"My brother on the other hand," he went on "is not so easy to get used to."

Sakura gagged slightly, turning red from her embarrassment at the mention of Katsua. Sanen chuckled impishly at her reaction.

"I really must apologize for his actions at breakfast. As you can probably tell he's a little… eccentric. His science is all he really cares about. More than running this country, more than anything really. But that's why he has me; make sure he takes care of himself. I'm still angry with him for not remembering to eat though. Who could forget about food? Even _if_ they are in the middle of something as groundbreaking as our demon-shield?"

"Oh? So he isn't usually as… um… thin?"

"Not usually. He's lost a good ten pounds since I left and who knows when the last time he brushed his hair was…" Following Sanen's gaze, she saw how Katsua's long hair was matted and tangled in the back of his pony tail.

"Since out parent's passed on, I've always been the one to make sure he doesn't get in trouble. Ironic, considering I'm the youngest. That's partly why I became a medic, so I could better care for my brother. God knows, if I didn't he most certainly wouldn't. Too busy with science."

Sakura looped her arm with Sanen's, leaning her head on his shoulder. The tops of their umbrellas clashed slightly. "You're such a good brother. I wish I could have someone care about me as much as you do about him."

Sanen snickered again.

"What?"

"Nothing. You just seemed to be blind, is all."

She pouted, releasing his arm and moving from his shoulder. "And how, pray tell, am I blind?"

"You _do _have people who care for you in that manner. I mean, just look at Gaara! Suffering for your sake. I mean, obviously, he hates it here and-"

"Gaara is here because I forced him to come. He doesn't care."

Sanen laughed. "Just because something looks like a building and acts like a building, doesn't mean that's all it knows."

Sakura blinked. "Alright, now you're confusing me."

"Look at the buildings. What do you see?"

She turned away from him to peer through the mist. What she saw took her by surprise. In Konoha, the houses were made of the trees of the forest, in Suna from the desert itself. But there? Every building around her, and probably every one she'd passed since leaving the palace was made of metal piping. It was everywhere! Forming the houses and running through the sky, connecting buildings together. Towers of piping, everywhere. It was… amazing.

She could hear the rain trickling through them after falling to the metal roofs and traveling through the pipelines. Where to, she did not know.

"Wow." She breathed, awed at the huge buildings playing the rain as if it was an instrument. It was beautiful. Though, all the other people walking through the streets, hidden under their umbrellas didn't seem to notice, just as she hadn't until it was pointed out to her.

"See? Our buildings aren't jut buildings. The water travels through the pipelines." Sanen pointed to a pipe running overhead. "Then, it collects in basins around the city. After that, its poured into channels where it makes turbines spin, creating our energy. Once it clears them, it's off to be filtered and transported to other countries that need it."

"Like Suna?"

"Our pipelines don't go that far. But we do ship it to Konoha's water reserves and I believe you then get it from them."

"Oh, right. That's amazing! I never knew your water played such a big part."

"It doesn't just create mud, that's for sure. Everything has more than purpose. Like the buildings. Even the rain, making energy and providing revenue. Much more than mud indeed. "

"I think I'm starting to like Amegakure already." She smiled.

"Good," he grinned. "Now onto the main attraction."

She frowned in confusion.

"My brother will insist on showing you the demon barrier."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

And so he did. Katsua led them to the tallest building in the entire rain village, the piping that formed it jetting what seemed like miles into the cloudy sky.

"Yes! This is where it all takes place. Well, right below us actually," Katsua's voice echoed around the building's lobby. "Sakura-sama!" He pulled her forward and away from Sanen, grinning devilishly at her. "I'm sure this will fascinate you the most, you being the one who will destroy all the demons."

Her weak smile faltered. "Sure, let's go with that…"

The crown prince pushed up his glasses and let his child-like smile grow wider. "Follow me then! I shall explain everything!"

Sakura didn't like the dark stone steps leading down to the lab any more than she did Katsua. The spiraling stairway reminded her of going down into the palace dungeons to visit Gaara. She wondered how he was doing… all alone in that big empty palace, sick as a dog. Her worry for him grew as she realized how long she'd been gone. It must have been hours. He'd better be alright…

"You see my dear friends," Katsu waved his hands as he spoke "All things are made up of energy. Chakra, as the ninja call it. It flows in and out of everything, and sometimes it can contaminate other types of chakra.

"For example, demonic chakra. I'm sure you've felt it if you've encountered a demon. It's stronger than our own human-based chakra and, if a human is exposed to it and his or her body manages to absorb it, devastating things can happen.

"That's how almost every demon in the world was created. They are not the original gods of darkness that came forth from the depths of the underworld. They are lessers, humans and animals that came in contacts with the vast amounts of demonic energy held by the true demons. For some reason it blended with their own chakra and created the monsters that plague our good earth today."

Katsua paused, smiling back at Sakura. "I suppose we have your tanuki friend to blame for all that. He is, after all, the first true demon to permanently cross over from the underworld, the spark that started the fire, if you will.

"Anyway, moving on. I realized something one day when attempting to separate the demonic energy from a lesser demon the shinobi had captured. I had managed to draw out over half of it when the best got loose. It came after me and right then and there I figured I was done for. But the most amazing thing to place!

"I was still holding the demonic energy at the time –with special gloves of course so as not to risk it tainting my own chakra- and when the demon got close, the chakra I held in my hand repelled it. It's own energy kept it away, preventing me from being harmed! How magnificent is that?

"And that's how I figured it out. Demonic energy naturally repels other demonic energy! This would explain why demons can't get along well with other demons and also the nature of demons themselves! Their chakra is so violent, constantly fighting against itself, that it creates these ragging monsters of death and destruction. And also, this explains why it can morph with other types of chakra! Opposites really _do_ attract!

"However, more importantly I discovered how to solve all of our problems! All that is needed is a pure source of demonic energy, and if the chakra was strong enough, it could be harnessed, projected, and used as a shield! A barrier if you will, to repel demons!"

"That is impossible!" The Kazekage protested. "You wouldn't have enough demonic energy for it to work in the first place!"

Katsua smiled. "Come, I'll show you." He told them, motioning them forward as the stairs stopped and opened into a massive stone room. Sakura was not the only one to gasp as what lay inside.

Scientists scurried back and forth with papers and other equipment. Lining the walls were metal and glass chambers the men in white coats kept rushing two and from, and inside each chamber was a demon.

The creatures weren't moving, yet their eyes were open and their mouths gaping, as if they were roaring, though no sound came out. They started at her through the glass tops of the pods. As if frozen, each stood as a statue submerged in the water filling each pod-like chamber. Then she saw the chakra, swirling around in each tank and pooling towards the bottom. Her eyes wandered to the pipes, one coming from the bottom of each pod. They all snaked across the floor to the center of the room.

And there, in the center of the room was the heart of the operation. A massive cylindrical tank ten feet high and at least twenty five in diameter. There was no glass to allow for the viewing of whatever lay inside except for a small port hole which, at the moment, was covered. Finally, from the top of the center chamber rose another rube that went right up through the roof, probably to the top of the tower. That must have been where the chakra was being transmitted from.

"So you see, this is how it all works." The prince went on smiling while everyone else stood gaping. "Every few weeks we have to change out the demon's one by one, because they die eventually. No more chakra. Anyway, while they live we sedate them and then their energy is pulled from their bodies and sent through the pipes here.

"Now, here at the heart of the whole operation," He patted the side of the great tank in the middle of the lab "this is where all the magic happens. All the chakra is brought in and pumped through an already pure source of demonic energy and thus purified. Then it gets sent up that pipe there to the top of the tower where it collects. There are receivers set up around the city that the energy is attracted to and that forms the barrier. And the best part is we've modified the demonic chakra so it won't be absorbed into humans or animals or anything else it could possibly worm its way into. It's completely pure and permanently separated from everything. Brilliant, don't you think?"

No one spoke a word. Glancing up at her traveling companions she saw that Sanen and Zurui's expressions of horror and surprise mirrored her own. Katsua didn't seem to notice.

"And you see we give the demons this serum that suppresses their chakra for when we bring them into the city so they don't die before we can get them here. We bind their hands and feet with this special cord infused with-"

"Brother," Sanen whispered, his eyes fixated on everything in the room all at once. "This… it's…"

"Amazing? Yes, I know. The most brilliant thing I've done so far! Simply genius if I do say so myself."

"No." In Sanen's stern voice, Sakura heard Sasuke's disapproving tone. He's used it with her on occasion, but never with as much force as Sanen had to his older brother. "This is… wrong."

Katsua's continuous smile faltered. "N-no. I've done the calculations again and again. Everything's been done right-"

"No, Brother, I mean, _this._ This whole thing is wrong." The angry prince stepped forward towards his brother, who was cowering slightly. The scientists in the room stopped momentarily to watch and listen. "_This _is what you've been using our shinobi forces for? Catching _demons_? Do you realize just how dangerous that is? They're not properly trained! And what about defending against invaders and making improvements to the village? How will we be able to do such things with our money funding this and our ninja out playing capture the demon?

"This shield is brilliant, Katsua, but it is far too dangerous to keep up and running. Just look at this place! One mistake and this whole village could be contaminated with demonic energy, and what then? Where would we be then?"

"Sanen, you are simply over reacting. Everything's perfectly safe, as I told you. Everything's been taken care of. The troops are trained and so what if I had to cut some funds here and there to get this thing up and running? The demonic raids were our biggest loss of money and now, with this small investment, we'll get that revenue back tenfold!

Katsua's smile widened. "And imagine what we could do if we taught other villages to build shields like ours? We'd be saving the world!"

Sanen's frown deepened. "It is not our job to save the world! It is Princess Sakura's! _She_ is the one who will be rid of the demons. And when that happens, all of this! All this technology will be a waist because not only will it be needed no longer, but apparently, it won't have a fuel supply!" He motioned to the demons in the pods. "Really, Brother? This is no way to treat a living being."

"Oh, come now. They're only demons. We kill them anyway, so why not dispose of them in this manner? And as for Miss Sakura-same, I have no doubt that she'll bring the demons down like the prophecy depicts, but when? The prophecy never tells when. How long will we have to wait, and in the mean time being ravaged by beasts?

"You see, Sanen," The crown prince smiled "This is the way of the future. This is what will insure the Princess's safety until the day of prophecy."

"Insure her safety?" The Kazekage stepped forward. "Now that sounds… intriguing…"

END

What will happen next? ^_^ Once again PLEASE continue to review as much as you guys have been! I will be forever sad if you don't! I want to here from new people what they're thinking and of course I need those who have reviewed in the past to tell me what's going on in their minds as well.

Next update: 7/4/12 OR sooner with more encouragement! ^_^


	21. Chapter 20: Shock and Awe

I'm surprised. I expected a lot more reactions to the shield and especially this wacky crown prince. Oh well. :P Read and enjoy. This is the chapter a crap ton of you have been complaining for forever!

Chapter 20

Shock and Awe

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Looking up, it seemed as if small black beads were falling from their place in the onyx sky, yet no blue every managed to shine through the cracks they left behind.

Night had fallen by the time they began to head back towards the palace, and Sakura found herself drained. All her brain could do was stare up at the starless night sky and watch the rain fall, soft and cold down upon her cheeks.

The crown prince led the way back, while this time it was the Kazekage who accompanied her by her arm. He was silent however, looking straight ahead, his expression undistinguishable under his mask. Sanen made up the rear, mumbling curses under his breath.

Sakura could feel the sting of his glare on her back and his anger in the air. How could he be mad at her? It wasn't her fault; it wasn't even her choice. The Kazekage was acting regent, and, on this decision, he would not allow her to overrule him.

First thing in the morning, they were to meet with Katsua and discuss the terms of their agreement. In exchange for whatever it was the crown prince wanted, they would receive the blueprints and other instructions on how to create their own demon-shield for Suna. Obviously, Sanen didn't approve.

The palace doors were pulled open by two servants, the wood banging loudly against the sides of the walls. The sound jolted Sakura out of her state of numbness and she was once again fully awake.

"Well then," Katsua smiled as he started to cross the great entrance hall "I shall see you all bright and early in the dining room? Yes, that should be good. Well, goodnight. Oh, and Sakura-sama? It… would be best if you not bring your protector to the meeting. Can't have him getting sicker walking around, now can we?" He started up the stairs and headed into the bowels of the castle before anyone could object to his decision.

"I believe I shall retire as well," The Kazekage turned to Sakura, giving her a slight bow before he too walked off towards his room. Sakura wasted no time in following after him, headed towards Gaara's room to check on him.

"Sakura-sama!"

She paused, turning back to see Sanen headed for her. "I need to speak with you," he continued.

"Sanen," pleaded Sakura "please, not now. I know you are angry with me, but not now, alright?"

"But-"

"I'm sorry," She turned away from him. "Any other time would be fine, but, for now, I have to go check on Gaara."

Sakura dashed up the stairs allowing the palace to swallow her whole as she left Sanen far behind her, lost somewhere in the maze of hallways.

Sakura breathed in and out heavily, trying to calm herself. It failed to slow her beating heart thudding in her chest as she walked towards their rooms. Everything would be alright. She's deal with Sanen later, and as for Gaara, he was fine. The medics she left in charge of him surely would have contacted her if trouble had befallen him. Right?

"Sakura-sama!" A medic practically plowed into her the moment she rounded the corner. She blinked rapidly in surprise, trying to recover.

The medic went on. "Sakura-sama, thank goodness you're back! Please, we need the Kazekage's and your help right away! I-if something isn't done soon he- he'll…"

"Gaara?" Her heart leaped into her throat. "What? What is it? What's wrong?" Sakura began to dash towards the room of her protector before the medic could speak. It seemed such a long sprint to the hallway's end where she saw two more medics outside his door, guarding it.

"We've tried everything, Sakura-sama, but we just can't get it to stop! And with both you and the Kazekage gone there was really nothing we could have done. But please, allow me to go summon the Kazekage. We'll need him if the collar breaks instead of killing him."

"Kill him?" Sakura slid to an abrupt halt right outside the door. The other medics blocked her way. "Let me in!"

"Sakura-sama, please, it's too dangerous. Please allow the Kazekage to be contacted and preparations to be made should the collar not hold."

Sakura glared hard at the subordinate defying her. "Get. Out. Of. My. _Way!_" The medic cringed against her tone.

"Yah- Your Highness-"

"No! You will do as I say! Now _move_!" She plowed through the guards like any impatient and worried young woman would do, showing no sympathy when they ended up on the ground, dazed.

Almost ripping the door off its hinges, she pulled it open and gasped.

The thunder cracked outside, light flashing beyond the window. The door swung back on its hinges, falling into the doorframe with a soft thud. The power was still out. So much for being repaired shortly, but she could still see rather well between the lightning and the small lamp alight by the bedside. And, it was through that dim light that she saw him.

"Gaara!"

He was awake, but he said nothing as she dashed to his side. He just lay still, as stiff as a board with his fists and jaw clenched, glaring the ceiling down. With yellow eyes.

"Gaara! Oh my god!" When she got closer she saw what was happening. That night they first met there was no restriction on his power, and so it leaked slowly through, morphing his body, just as it was now. The black around his eyes were more intense and his irises were yellow. His claws had grown out, and even his fangs protruded from beneath his clenched lips. But that wasn't even the worst part.

His sand shell had disintegrated the night before and had not been reapplied; but still, long sharp cracks ran all over his skin like long black groves. And from between the worst of them leaked blood. Three large cracks on one side of his bare chest had met at some point, causing the whole area to chip away, like it really was a shell of sand, only beneath wasn't Gaara. Below the cracking skin of his body lay a new layer the color of sand with thick blue lines running through it. This was the body of Shukaku.

"Gaara, what's going on? What's happening to you?"

He didn't reply. Perhaps because he couldn't. But his eyes moved to her, and they were burning. Not with the hatred she was used to seeing, but with pain.

Sakura felt helpless. Without even thinking she moved to touch his arm, noticing immediately how tense he was and that his cold sweat had returned with a vengeance. That's when he screamed. She had never heard anything like it. The pain in his voice was almost too much to bear. Sakura immediately removed her hand and watched as he dug his claws into the bed, clenching his teeth together so tightly she was sure they would crack under the pressure.

"Get away," he seethed through his teeth, glaring her down with the most serious look he'd ever given her. He screamed out again in pain as another fraction of his skin, this one on the side of his face, fell off. His body was literally falling apart.

Sakura was anchored in place because, for once, as a medic and a friend, she did not know what to do, and what she felt made her sick. She felt like running away. She wasn't going to lie to herself; she was terrified. Gaara was slowing transforming into a demon. Why, she didn't know, but she did know the consequences if it were to continue. He could kill them all. Completely unchecked and free from both his body and his cell in Suna, he would be able to destroy them.

She was about to do it. She was about to turn and run out of the room as fast as her legs would carry here. But then her eyes landed on the collar resting around Gaara's neck. It's sharp prongs pointed inward, ready to puncture his neck should he begin to take on the shape of Shukaku.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Zurui growled, finding himself at the end of a hallway that evidently did not lead to his room.

"Idiotic country! Can't even afford to light their own palace!"

He turned down another corridor, stumbling on through the gloom. All the while he continued to remind himself that after tomorrow everything would be over.

"Yes, yes, that's right." The Kazekage mumbled along. "Tomorrow, it _will _be over and I can leave this damn country behind. For good!

"Oh, but I _do_ wish I could simply take those damn plans without having to give in to this ludicrous prince! Ugg, but I _must _know! There is something off about him and this ridiculous shield of his, but for being insane he is quite cleaver. Not telling me until _after _out little exchange tomorrow. Sly dog. But no matter the cost, I must get ahold of those plans…"

The Kazekage was about to continue ranting to himself when he felt something. Something sinister in the air, yet somehow familiar. It was like a line of cold ice running down his back.

From the darkness boomed a voice. "No! Tonight! You must discover what he is hiding tonight! Or you will fall!"

As a shinobi and the Kazekage he would never admit it, but the fear that voice instilled in him made him quake. Petrified and prideful, however, at the mention of defeat, he raged. Nothing and no one would bring him down, and if pursuing the voice would benefit him, he would do so.

And so he was off, slinking back through Amegakure as fast as his rain boots would carry him, back to the tower that housed the demon-shield's inner workings. As the Kazekage, it was easy to get in the main lobby.

"Oh yes, sorry, I seem to have forgotten something. I'll just be a moment."

It was almost as easy to slither past security and find his way back down into the main laboratory. Dark, cold, and abandoned, he crept towards the main control panel, headed straight for the mounds of paperwork surrounding it. He didn't seem to notice the absence of any lab techs.

"There has to be something here!" Frustrated, he continued to rummage through the documents, scanning carefully for anything. Something, after all, had to be there. There was no way a contraption as dark as the demon shield didn't have the mother of all blackmail attached to it.

Then, as he was leaning over to retrieve a fallen scrap, his hand accidently pressed a rather suspicious looking button. Machinery sprang to life. The center of the lab's floor began to twist and turn, glowing and lighting up as it rose out of the ground to form the core mechanism they had seen that afternoon. Except, something else began to happen as Zurui cautiously approached the cylinder.

He drew closer, his eyes trying to adjust from the gloom and be able to look at the light pouring out as the large portholes on all sides of the cylinder opened wide, revenging its inner workings.

Zurui gasped.

Inside the glowing, liquid-filled tank was a demon, much like the others, trapped in suspended animation, it's face twisted in a howl of pain. _This_ was the pure source of demonic energy that purified all the rest.

The Kazekage stared in shock and heart break. His fists pounded on the glass. "Jouhin!"

Then he felt a sharp pain from behind and instantly fell to the ground. Someone clothed in a medical jacket looked down on him, holding a hypodermic needle firmly in one hand as darkness faded in around Zurui and he blacked out.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Where is the Kazekage?" Why wasn't anyone moving? All of them. They were all standing around like statues, staring at her. Were they all crazy? Or did they just think she was?

"Sakura-sama-" The medics chanted at her, a thousand voices echoing at once in her head. She pushed her way back through them, headed towards the Kazekage's chambers. She banged her fist against the door repeatedly. The wood splintered, then shattered. Still no answer. She barged in, despite the shinobi's attempts to stop her.

"Zurui!" She shouted without reason. She could tell before even entering that the room was deserted. "Where is he?"

"No one has seen him, My Lady." Someone said.

_DAMN!_

Why? Of all times when she needed him! Needed his consult, his opinion! She ripped through the drawers in the room. Needed his keys. She found a metal box under the bed. Before she could be met with further protest, Sakura pulled a kunai from the nearest shinobi's holster and jammed it into the lock. People continued to shout around her, but all she heard was the safe crack open. And there it was. The spare key that was an exact match to the one the Kazekage kept on his person at all times. They key to Gaara's prison.

"Sakura-sama, you can't! No!"

"Tell everyone to evacuate the building. Now! You have two minutes." She barked back, ignoring their protests. They were all terrified. She could hear it in their voices, and see it in their eyes as she made her way back down the hall to Gaara's room. They were afraid for their lives. She was afraid for her friend's.

However, once she called two minutes, the arguing dissipated as they fled in hoards from the wing and the palace itself for that matter. The alert was sounded and loud screeching noises began, signaling everyone to leave.

And then she was alone in his room. With him lying just as stiff as before on the bed. The blaring ringing coming from the halls was muffled by the closed door and the thunder outside. Everything else faded away. Everything but him.

Gaara's eyes rested on the key in her hand, while the rest of his body withered in pain as he tried to stop himself. He couldn't open his mouth. If he did, he would just end up screaming again. He couldn't yell at her. No! Don't do it!

He'd only been without his collar one other time and never when this was happening. Before his demon was content, channeling its energy through the funneled vessel of his body. But now there was no peace. He could feel his soul forcing its way out, trying to physically rip away from the body, rather than have to deal with it. And if that happened… He wanted to scream out the word, but when he opened his mouth only the sound of pain came out.

Sakura winced as he screamed out again. Blood squirted from the cracks with mounted force in response to his cries. The second time his lips managed to form the word.

"NO!"

She swallowed hard, as he clamped his mouth shut again, biting through his lip to keep from screaming yet again.

She knelt down at his bedside, looking at him seriously. "When Naruto shifts into his demon form he says it's because the energy has nowhere else to go. The body becomes the soul and the soul the body, so he can shift back again when he needs to."

Gaara's nails dug into the sheets. His yellow eyes pleaded with her not to continue.

"The original demons were huge, bigger than cities, than oceans even, but you can control your size based on how much energy you let out, right?"

He couldn't respond, but she continued anyhow.

"If you can," she asked "try and let all that energy go. If the transformation destroys this palace or me well… just try, alright?"

He screamed out in agony. The key slipped into the lock.

END

Baaahaha! you guys have been guessing back and forth for so long! Is the Kazekage the traitor? What's up with the shield? Are the princes evil? But NOT ONE of you asked: "WHERE the F**K is Jouhin?" She just disappeared on a mission to Amegakure and not ONE of you asked where she was after the characters arrived their but we still hadn't seen her. :P

Admit it! I got you good! ;)

Next update: 7/12/12 IF your lucky! REVIEW! Or I will weep and say to myself: "Why write the next chapter?"


	22. Chapter 21: The Demons Revealed

Baaah, you guys are so lucky you're getting this. I almost didn't get it done on time. Anyway, here it is. The moment you've been waiting for! ^_^ Enjoy!

Chapter 21

The Demons Revealed

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

One day he'd tell her it wasn't his doing, and that her plea with him to try and control his energy had nothing to do with what happened. Once the lock holding everything in, keeping it in check, fell, he had no control.

His chakra ripped from his body, crashing through the windows and shaking the walls, but it wasn't on purpose. He had expected it to come out and manifest as his demon form, but somehow it didn't stop pulling away until it was yanked entirely from him. In seconds it was all drained and the weakness he'd felt before came crashing back tenfold.

And then it was black.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Sakura gasped, trying to fill her lungs. All the air previously filling them had been knocked out as she slammed against the bedroom wall. She could feel the bruises already, and she wouldn't be surprised if she'd broken something. But there would be time for those concerns later.

The room was in ruins, the walls and windows blown out. Rain seeped through from the night beyond. The blackness looked hazy from the dust and debris still floating around in the air. Red chakra swirled all around for a moment or two before completely disappearing; dragged about by an unknown force she could neither see nor feel.

Then, with the air free of energy yet again, her mind snapped back to what mattered. Gaara.

She shuffled through the broken bits of wood and glass, trying to find what was left of the bed. It was only partly intact and empty. Gaara was gone and all that remained were a tangle of bed sheets.

"Gaara?"

No answer.

"Gaara?"

She couldn't see him or even feel him. His chakra was completely diapated, gone as if it never was. But wait.

Sakura concentrated, and focused. It was faint, almost gone, but it was there. She could feel him. He was still there, nearby. Probably still in the room. She took the two paces towards the bed and paused, holding her breath right before she pulled the blankets away. First her breathing hitched and then she gasped.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Let me pass!" Sanen growled, trying desperately to shove his way through the blockade. The ninja standing in his path did not budge.

"Princess Sakura issued an evacuation order! No one is allowed back in until things are confirmed to be safe." The guard that had forcefully dragged him out of the palace pulled him back from the ninja.

"How dare you! I am the brother of the Crown Prince and I demand you let me through!"

"We know who you are," another person spoke. "But I'm afraid you hold no power here, My Prince. Only your brother, or the Princess have authority to overrule our given orders."

Sanen was about to continue arguing when he heard the blast. Everyone's heads snapped upward to look at the right wing of the palace as the wall was blown out. The force shook the structure and scattered the debris outward, revealing a massive hole in the side of the building.

Then came the chakra. It emerged as a massive red plume, rapidly rising out of the palace and swirling chaotically in the air. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, melting into the dark sky.

Nervous muttering commenced, spreading through the crowd of palace workers, shinobi, and nobles. Sanen hurriedly glanced from one face in the crowed to the next, desperately looking for his brother, but could not find him. He growled in frustration, turning back to the barricade before him.

"Let me through!" This time, he would not take no for an answer, plowing through the men standing in his way and barreling towards the palace. He didn't care to look back to see if they were attempting to stop him.

He grabbed the first lit lamp he could find, rushing towards the rooms that had exploded.

"Sakura!" he called as he ran. "Sakura!"

The halls were all dark and abandoned, building up his worry.

"Sakura!" Still no answer as he had rounded the corner and came across what was left of the two rooms she and her protector had been occupying.

His feet crunched over the wreckage leading into one of the rooms.

"Sakura!"

"In here!"

Sanen's heart leaped into his throat at the sound of her voice. She was alive. She was alright. Making his way into what was once Gaara's room, he found her, sitting on what was left of the bed.

"Sakura, thank goodness! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sanen."

"What happened?" He came closer through the gloom, squinting to see her better. She sat solemnly, with her arms to her middle, like she was holding something. His brow scrunched together.

"Gaara was transforming. If I hadn't removed the collar…"

Sanen's face grew panicked. "Sakura, what happened? Where's Gaara now?"

She looked up at him with the saddest expression she'd ever held in her eyes.

"Here," She unfolded her arms, almost beckoning for him to come closer. Sanen gasped. In her arms she cradled what was left of the sand master, a sandy colored baby tanuki, so small and fragile it looked to be only a few weeks old.

"That… that's _Gaara_?"

Her eyes welled up. "I- I don't think he's breathing."

Sanen set down the lamp and ripped off his shirt in the same motion. "Here," he reached forward, taking the creature from her and wrapping it in the cloth. He rubbed it gently back and forth, trying to warm it up. He put his hand against its snout but wasn't sure if he could feel a faint breath or none at all. He swallowed hard, rubbing it again. And then, finally, a noise, like a soft coo came from the animal. They both sighed out in relief.

"He's alive," Sanen smiled, handing Gaara back to Sakura, watching her take him in her arms, cradling him yet again. "But what on earth happened? Why is he…?"

"It must be the chakra. When I removed the collar it burst everywhere."

"Yeah, I saw it too. It was pouring out of the palace, like it was on fire, but then suddenly disappeared."

"It was like it was ripped away from him. Gaara must have only had enough energy left to create this form." She looked like she was going to cry again. "What now? How do we get Gaara back?"

"Hey," He patted her lightly on the shoulder, trying to offer comfort. "He's gonna be alright. We're gonna figure this out." He smiled at her and she meekly tried to return it.

"Besides," he continued, "He's gotta get back to normal so I can tease him about this."

A real grin crept across her face.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"What do you mean you can't find him? He's the Kazekage! One does not simply _lose _the Kazekage! Look again! Search everywhere! I want to know where he was last seen, what he was doing, who saw him, and why the hell no one can find him!"

"Yes, My Lord!" The guards sounded off, dispersing from the dining hall.

Sanen huffed, his anger spilling out as Sasuke's used to. Sakura didn't notice.

The sun was up and the light grey sky shown through the glass ceiling of the dining hall. Needless to say, no one had gotten any sleep the previous night. Everyone was too busy trying to track down the Kazekage and the Crown Prince, asses and fix the damage to the palace, and so on. Gaara was the only one who had slept through it all.

Now that day was beginning, Sakura watched as the little tanuki curled up in her arms began to stretch and yawn. She held her breath.

What would happen once he awoke? Would his power return and cause him to rip apart everything in sight? Would he be Gaara? A walking, talking baby tanuki? Or would he not be there at all? Nothing more than a vacant shell of an animal without the real Gaara inside?

She was about to get her answer as a pair of sleepy eye opened to look up at her.

They were yellow, like Shuukaku's but somehow less sinister and they came paired with a baby-like gaze, surprised and awed. It was that gaze that stole Sakura's heart.

"Oh my!"

Sanen turned, waking back towards her. "What? What is it?"

She continued. "He… he's so cute!" She smiled wide down at the baby, cooing at it and making funny faces. "Who's a cute little Tanuki! You are! You are!"

"Congratulations," Sanen said dryly. "It's a demon, now can you please let go of your motherly instincts and try to focus! The Kazekage is missing! And I still haven't been able to get a hold of my brother."

Sakura turned to him. "I told you. I saw the Kazekage headed towards his room last night, and that was the last I saw of him, but I'm sure he's here somewhere. He would never purposefully leave me here alone with Gaara. Not over his dead body."

"But what if it _was _over his dead body? Think Sakura! What if he was kidnapped or killed or-"

"Or you're over reacting. We already know there were no reports of enemy shinobi in the area and even if there was, this is the Kazekage. Zurui can more than handle himself." She frowned. "I would like it if he showed up soon though. The longer Gaara's like this, the more worried I get."

Sanen swallowed, clenching his teeth. "You're right. Getting Gaara back to normal is our top priority at the moment."

The Kazekage's second-in-command, who was sitting with them in the dining hall spoke out for the first time in quite a while.

"If I may, Princess," He said "Wouldn't it be a good idea to secure the collar again? If Gaara were to attack us-"

"You stupid man," She barked. "That collar holds back demonic energy! Gaara's so week right now if we were to put it on, he would die. Besides! Does he look dangerous to you?"

Sakura held up the baby tanuki, his yellow eyes happy and innocent. He cooed up at the shinobi.

"N-No."

"Good. That's because he's not." She switched back into baby voice, smiling down at Gaara. "He's just a little baby, yes he is. Yes, you are. And you don't need a stupid collar taking away your chakra, do you? Do you?"

In this case, I believe Sakura-sama is right," Sanen addressed the second in comand. "Gaara doesn't need any more energy sucked out of him."

It hit her like a ton of bricks crashing into her skull. Sanen's words clicked into place with the events of the last few days.

Sakura gasped. "Sanen!"

He looked startled. "What?"

"Say that again."

"What again?"

"The part about energy being sucked out."

"All I said was he doesn't need any more energy being sucked out of him."

"Exactly! That's what's been happening to Gaara! That's what we saw last night! All his energy was taken away!"

"So?"

"So what do we know of that sucks out energy? That sucks out _demonic_ energy from demons?"

Sanen's face went blank. "Of course."

She smiled. "Exactly!"

"The demon shield."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Katsua!" Sanen marched through the building housing the demon-shield, straight passed reception, headed for his brother's office.

"Sir, you can't-" the receptionist stopped when she saw the look he threw back at her.

He marched on, Sakura and the Kazekage's second in command in toe. Sakura still held tanuki Gaara in her arms, swaddled in a blanket to protect him from the cold rain. He was always there for her when she needed him. There was no way she'd abandon him now when he needed her.

Sanen called for his brother again. "Katsua!" They barged on past the crown Prince's personal secretary and guard, pushing them aside to open the doors to his chamber.

"Katsua!"

The Crown Prince sat at his desk, up to his eyeballs in papers and charts. His glasses were covered in grime, as was his usual pony-tailed hair.

"Greetings!" He smiled wide. "Good of you to visit me friends. I apologize for missing breakfast, but I've been busy working all night."

"Katsua, we need to talk," Sanen marched forcefully towards his brother.

"Oh, wish I could, but we're in the middle of an extraordinary event here! There was a massive surge of demonic energy last night! Enough to do far more than increase the shields range or effectiveness. We're talking about enough power to not just weaken, but kill any demon who comes within range!"

"_Kill?_" Sakura gasped.

"Brother, that's what we need to talk to you about! That energy came from Gaara!"

Katsua blinked. "Gaara? Oh! You mean the other jinjuriki?"

"Yes! The demon shield was what was making him sick. It pulled all his energy out of him by force!" Sakura continued.

"Seems plausible… that is what it was designed to do…"

"Yes, well it did its job alright. Too well! Now Gaara's so weak he's… he's… well look!" She held out the tanuki, adorable and sleeping yet again.

"Oh my!" Katsua stood up out of his seat quickly.

Sakura sighed in relief, glad to see the Crown Prince understood the seriousness of the situation. She was mistaken.

"What a fascinating specimen! Tell me, did this happen right after the energy was released or did it happen gradually? Has he seemed to regain any chakra since? Do you think I could possibly-"

"Brother! No! This is serious! We need to bring down the demon shield! If not, Gaara could be stuck like that forever, or even die!"

"Take down the shield? Out of the question. I've spent far too much time and effort to make this dream a reality! I cannot quite now!" Katsua argured.

"But Brother-"

"But nothing! I am the Crown Prince and my word is final."

"Then we'll just have to leave." Sakura said firmly. "I apologize, Prince Katsua, but we cannot afford to stay any longer. You'll have to recall Jouhin from her mission at once and have her meet us somewhere beyond the barrier. Also, it would seem we no longer will be negotiating terms for the shield's blueprints."

Katsua's face dropped. "You… you will not indorse my shield?"

"Not if it does this to my friends." She said, looking back to her arms at Gaara.

"Are you sure you won't reconcider? I- I can take a look at your friend there and see if I can reverse the effects,"

"No, thank you. Gaara and I need to be leaving as soon as possible." Sakura announced. She turned back to Sanen. "Please, continue looking for the Kazekage and have him meet us in the nearest village. We'll wait there for him."

"Of course," he replied.

"The Kazekage?" Katsua asked.

"Yes, he's been missing since last night. We suspect he may be off on personal business. Or, at least we hope he is."

Katsua smiled. "Oh no! No need to worry Dear Brother, fine Sakura-sama. The Kazekage is here!"

Sakura blinked. "What?"

Katsua started to walk towards his door. "Yes, yes, he's here in the tower. Down in the main lab, actually. We've been collaborating on a few projects together. Come, here, I'll take you to him. You can all leave at once, together." He led them out the door and down towards the labs.

Katsua took up the rear position as they walked down the stairs together. "I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you, and quite flattered that you all were worried about him."

No one noticed Katsua slip three syringes out of his lab coat pocket, and uncap the needles. He smiled. "I don't know why you were so concerned. Zurui's the Kazekage, after all. What could have possibly happened to him?"

END

REVIEW! I want to know what you thought! Personally, I felt like I may have rushed it a little, but you all were complaining how you NEEDED to know and how things were going too slow, so I ramped it up.

But now, you need to make a decision. People keep telling me to update sooner AND to make the chapters longer. Now you have to pick: 1. chapters that are around this length, updated every week or so.

OR 2. longer chapters updated less often. I will not do both! So let me know what you guys are thinking please. ^_^

Next Update: 7/22/12


	23. Chapter 22: Hope and Betrayal

Holy Crap, I am SO sorry about being this late. I seriously didn't mean to, I just ran out of writing juice. This chapter was SUPER hard to get started and yeah... again sorry. On a happier note, over 200 reviews! Love you guys so much! Keep it up because if it wasn't for those reviews, I probably wouldn't have forced myself to crank out this chapter.

IMPORTANT NOTE!: If you don't remember who Ritsu is and the story of how Gaara REALLY got stuck in the human world, go back and read Chapter 14: The Truth BEFORE YOU READ THIS!

Chapter 22

Hope and Betrayal

The sun was sinking, painting the desert sky as it did every evening, and though he looked directly into the sky, he saw none of its beauty. Naruto was focused on the horizon, looking, watching, and waiting. But nothing came. He hit his fists against the palace's railing, grinding his molars together.

Something had to be wrong.

It had been almost three days since he'd sent a messenger hawk to Sakura and the Kazekage, informing them on a few maters and inquiring as to when they would be returning. And still nothing. What could be taking them so long?!

Surely the Kazekage would have replied by now. And Sakura! After what he'd told them in their letter, she would have had some strong choice words for him. But silence and an empty sky was all that lay before him.

"Sakura," He pleaded with the sunset, "what's happened to you?"

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

When she'd first met Gaara, Sakura couldn't understand it. Every movement, every sound or fleeting gesture set him off. He was always on edge, ready to rip someone's throat out and at the same time trying desperately to contain that urge in fear of the consequences of his actions. She hadn't understood it at all. Now she did.

She didn't know what day it was or how long she'd been there, trapped in her dark and gloomy cell, unable to move. Unable to breath.

The cold stone walls were eerily reminiscent of the ones making up the cell she'd set Gaara free from all those months ago. They stood silent and icy, closing in further, and further. She had to close her eyes just to escape the terror they instilled in her.

Her eyes were just about the only part of her body she could move freely. Her arms were chained to the wall above her head, her waist locked into her sitting position and her contorted legs dead bolted to the ground.

The pain was excruciating. Sitting for so long against the rock hard floor had bruised and bloodied her back and legs. Her arms had gone numb long ago. Sitting there alone in the dark, covered in her own filth and tears, she was helpless. Terrified.

"Sakura? Sakura, are you still there?"

Sanen.

"Please, hang in there, Princess," Zurui added.

Her companions. She couldn't see them, only hear there faint voices, horse from lack of water and constant roars of frustration and pain. They must have been in separate cells, locked away like she was in that defiled dungeon.

"I'm here!" He rasped back. Her lips bled when she spoke as the parched cracked re-opened.

"Stay strong!" Sanen called back to her. "Someone is coming for us! They'll find us! Don't worry!"

The energy it would take to reply wasn't worth the effort to continue Sanen's false hopes.

No one was coming. Katsua was the Crown Prince. Even if someone who wasn't locked up already knew of his treachery, they would never go against him to save a foreign princess. And no doubt her own men had been dealt with at that point. She cringed at the thought.

"Speak to me Sakura! They're coming, right? Tell me they are!" Sanen called back to her.

"You're right… they're coming…"

"Like you mean it!"

She swallowed hard but it did nothing to quench her throat. "Yes. Someone is coming."

"That's it, Sakura," Zurui called back. "Keep faith. Keep hoping."

Faith.

Hope.

Things she would have lost long ago if it wasn't for the two of them, calling out to her, making sure she kept on going no matter what.

What would have become of her without them there, sharing in the darkness with her?

Gaara.

Now she understood how he had felt, living as a prisoner. All alone with no such thing as hope. He had been trapped in dungeons and a human cage his whole life, and it made sense how he'd become so full of malleus.

She could feel her own hatred building up every moment she remained so utterly in ruins. Her fear and misery fed her animosity.

How on earth could she allow this to happen? How did she not see Katsua's betrayal? And now, caught in his spider's web, why could she still do nothing?!

All her training, all her time and effort, all her energy. Was it for nothing? After all, now, when things mattered, she was as helpless as before. It made her disgusted with herself, hate herself, and those feelings built. They added to her resolve. She _had _to escape.

They kept saying someone was coming to get them. Help was on the way. Don't lose hope. But enough of that crap.

Sakura's jaw tightened. Her strength would soon be spent. There wasn't much time left for her, but before that final moment came, she would stop at nothing. She would be the help coming for Zurui and Sanen. No more sitting around like a helpless girl.

She began twisting and turning in her chains, a process beyond painful, as she had tried to countless times before. But this time she was trying, not just for herself, but for her pride, her friends, and most of all, for Gaara. She'd gotten him into this hellish mess, and she was bound and determined to help drive him out of it. The black collar she'd removed from around his neck ground against her ribs as she moved, swaddled in the draping's of her cloth. It drove her on.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

"Alright, looks like everything's going along pretty smoothly." Katsua smiled, readjusting his glassed. "Begin replacing the demons."

The staff obeyed his order, one by one unhooking the nearly dead demons from their places and rotating in new freshly caught ones. They all has the same petrified look on their faces, silently screaming out in agony and paralyzed in place.

"Domo!" He addressed his head lab technician.

"Yes, My Prince?"

"What about this one?" he moved over to the other side of the lab, looking down into a glass capsule, containing a very small and sleepy baby tanuki. It's body had been defiled, with patches of hair missing here and there, needle marks doting the skin.

"I've run all the useful tests I can think off," The Prince continued. "He's quite an amazing specimen, unfortunately, we'll have to convert him back to human form before we can put him in the core with the other one."

"My Prince, may I asked, if the demon is potentially more powerful in this form, why must we change him back?"

Katsua lightly slapped the man on the back of the head.

"Silly Domo. Haven't I told you this already? Honestly, how do you expect to run a lab of your own when I must continue to micro-manage you, all because you don't listen?

"I told you before, They have to be in human form, because those collars of theirs only work when they are human. And we need the collars to work because…?"

Domo swallowed hard. "Because… because…"

"Ugh! Because we can't have the shield using all their energy at once! They'd die in a matter of minutes, but with the collars on, it completes the input- output ratio we need. All the demonic energy goes in… but the collar only allows a little out at a time."

Katsu gave his goofy grin again. "See?"

Domo nodded stiffly. "In that case, should I fetch the serum you constructed for that purpose?"

"Yes, yes, of course, fetch it now."

Katsua turned from the man to look back down at the sleeping demon-tanuki.

"To think that you wandered right into my hands, my friend. Of course, I had no doubt you would should I make sure to invite your little Princess alone for the ride. Such a nice girl. Rather narrow minded though. She had no idea what kind of power she had… A true demon, and one of the most powerful ones at that. Compared to that other demon of the princess's you'll last as my shield's power core for a thousand lifetimes longer."

Domo returned, handing the prince a large syringe filled with the serum. The Prince lifted the lid off the capsule and injected the demon, careful to close the lid and lock it behind him should the sedative they'd given him earlier wear off.

Slowly, before their eyes the baby tanuki began to morph back into the well-known form of Gaara.

Katsua smiled. "Now all we need is to find that primitive contraption of a collar."

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt a peace like the one engulfing him. All the anger and hate of before melted and it was if he felt normal again. Not like a demon, or a human, but as he had been so long ago…

"Shukaku!"

He looked around, seeing nothing. He was surrounded by endless white light, and the person who had called his name was unseen.

"Shukaku!"

"Here! Here I am!" He called back.

"Shukaku!"

He knew which direction it had come from this time and ran for it. _Shukaku! Shukaku! _It called louder and louder as he approached.

She appeared in front of him, crouched on the ground as if in pain. The light continued to dance around him.

"Shukaku," She wept, crying into cupped hands.

"Ritsu?" He asked, crouching down beside her. He put his arms around her shaking shoulders. "Ritsu, what's wrong? Talk to me, please."

"J- Jouhin…"

"Jouhin? You are a thousand times stronger and more powerful than Jouhin. How can she upset you? Tell me, what she say to make you cry?"

"She… she told me she loves you."

He laughed without thinking. "How is this news? The whole underworld knows of her infatuation. Why would that make you upset?"

The little girl still kept her head buried in her teary hands. "Because if she loves you than you'll fall in love with her and-"

"Haha, Ritsu, is that what you're worried about? Please, don't be. Jouhin is my friend. Nothing more."

"So… you don't love her."

"No, I don't, now will you please look at me?"

She looked up at his eyes, planted into her face, stared back at him, still wet with tears. He smiled at her and she eventually smiled back.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The most powerful demon in the underworld is bound to have admirers."

"It's a curse," he joked, taking her by the hand and walking with her further into the light. It was changing now from white to grey.

"But you know, Ritsu, you're the only girl I could love."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She squeezed him around the waist. "Good, but Shukaku, about Jouhin…"

"Are you still not convinced? I told you, I don't love-"

"No, no, it's not that. I was just wondering, why is she your friend?"

"I… don't understand your question."

"She's so weak and powerless, barely a demon at all. More like a lesser demon than anything. Why do you consider her your friend? She's weaker than you, below you. Shouldn't she be, at the very least, your subordinate, not your friend?"

"Ritsu," He stopped, turning to kneel in front of her so that they stood the same height and he could look her straight in the eyes. "A demon is a demon, regardless of how powerful they are. There are many so called lesser demons here in our world, but that doesn't mean the select few of us that are extremely powerful should look down upon them."

Her face pouted. "Why is that? Why bother with equality when we aren't equal? You and I, we are the most powerful demons in existence. Isn't it our right, then to rule over the others?"

His face grew stern and he stood up, beginning to walk away from her. "I'll not have this conversation with you, Ritsu. I've already told you, we weren't meant to rule over each other and as long as I'm around, there will be no further discussion on the matter."

The light was starting to shift again, this time from grey into a subtle pink.

He looked back to see if she was coming. Ritsu's head hung down to hide her eyes, a visible frown on her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be harsh with you," he started back towards her.

"No, it's not that…"

"Then…?"

"I was just hoping, I wouldn't have to go through with it." The pink changed starkly to a deep bloody red.

His feet froze, but not of his own accord. He couldn't move. His whole body was paralyzed.

"I'm so sorry, Shukaku," she said, looking up to him. This time her child-like gaze had dissolved and her true age, far beyond the years her body portrayed, shown through.

"Ri… tsu…" He almost gasped, disbelieve and shock still overwhelming him. What was this? What was happening? What was she doing to him?!

"I'm sorry," she said again "but no two things, demon or human, are equal to one another. And if you're not going to be at the top of the hierarchy here with me, you and everyone who thinks like you will just have to spend eternity on the bottom, down in the mortal world."

Everything. Pain. Hurt. Anger. Disbelieve. Rage. Resentment. Sorrow. It all crashed down upon him at once as he sunk down through the veil, being pulled from the underworld. He trusted her.

He loved her, and now she had betrayed him.

"No! No! Ritsu!"

She just smirked down at him. "Goodbye, Big Brother,"

And he fell.

_But you know, Ritsu, you're the only girl I could love._

_Promise?_

_Promise…_

END

Not gonna lie, I have no idea when I'll feel the inspiration to write the next chapter. Heck, I don't even know what's going to happen in the next chapter! :P Let's aim for 8/17/12 OK? Bear with me people, I'm pushing through this rut!


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